


Blood Rain

by Spunky0ne



Category: Bleach
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-06-28
Updated: 2012-09-21
Packaged: 2017-11-08 18:37:56
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 21,525
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/446262
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Spunky0ne/pseuds/Spunky0ne
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>An escaped Aizen Sousuke sets out to make another attempt to slay the spirit king, but finds himself oddly distracted by a red haired captive he means to use as part of his plans.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Marked

"You are right on time," said the cloaked and hooded man, as the Central 46 guard stepped into the darkened clearing, "You have...been to see him, then?"

"Hai," said the guard, looking around nervously, "I tended him yesterday...and he did seem interested."

"Of course he was interested, Jun-san," said the hooded man, "He has no way out, on his own, and he realizes that."

"But he was reluctant about the idea of giving up the hougyoku. Even though it will not recognize him as its master anymore, he will not free it because it gives him immortality."

"But what good is immortality if no one will ever set him free?"

"Exactly," said Jun, "I made exactly that argument and he said that he would consider it and let me know tonight. I work the late shift and have agreed to tend him through the night."

"See that you do that," said the hooded man, "And if he agrees, then you will unbind him, free his own powers, but leave the seal on the hougyoku...and you will give him this."

He handed the guard a green handled katana, which the guard slipped into his belt, next to his own weapon.

"But I have to give them my weapons when I go in to see him," Jun objected.

"Ah," said the man, "But this weapon will conceal itself, as it has ever since he abandoned it. Trust me. You won't be questioned about it at all."

"If you say so," Jun said nervously.

"I will be here when he arrives...or when you come to tell me he has refused."

"What will you do if he will not agree to your terms?" asked Jun.

The man smiled.

"I will convince him otherwise. Now go."

He watched as the guard flash stepped away, then stepped out into the moonlight. He drew back his hood and gazed up at the moon and stars through ice blue eyes.

"You had best not keep me waiting Aizen Sousuke," the man said softly, threading the fingers of a prosthetic hand through his silver hair, "I did not come back from the dead to waste my time. You promised me a great many things for the privilege of having me follow you...and now, you will deliver on your promises. You will deliver on them...and then you will die!"

He sank back into the brush and sat down to wait.

Inside the gates of Central 46, Jun walked to the front entrance, and showed his identification to the guards. As promised, none of them asked about the second katana he wore, nor did anyone seem to notice it as he made his way through the main building. He passed freely through the upper levels of the prison, and was not stopped until he reached the lowest level...Muken.

"Identification?"

Jun handed the bored looking guard his identification and waited as it was verified.

"Weapon?"

Jun handed the guard his zanpakutou, and breathed a sigh of relief as he was allowed to pass, still bearing the green hilted zanpakutou.

_I guess that guy wasn't bullshitting me...the thing really does conceal itself._

He entered Aizen's cell and went about his usual cleaning. As he finished, he heard an odd voice in his head.

_You may uncover his eyes and mouth now, but leave his hands bound._

Jun wondered if it was simply a memory of the hooded man's instructions or if the voice was real. He glanced uneasily at the zanpakutou he carried, then shook his head and walked to Aizen.

_No one will see or hear you. You may speak freely with him._

Jun shivered softly, but walked to Aizen and unbound his eyes and mouth.

"Jun," Aizen said, smiling, "How nice that you have returned. And...do I sense that you have brought a gift for me?"  
Jun bit at his lips nervously.

"The man who sent it warned me to only give it to you if you agree to his terms that I told you before."

"I see," said Aizen, "Apparently, he does not understand the bond between my zanpakutou and me."

Jun caught his breath in surprise as the spirit form of a tall, pale man with deep green eyes rose up out of the sword. His eyes went wide and he turned to call for help, but found himself frozen.

"Do not worry, my friend," Aizen whispered, "You have been helpful, so I will not harm you. Come here, Jun. Pleasure me...like you did before."

The guard felt the strong compulsion that always seemed to draw him to the charismatic prisoner. He sensed the awful danger, but couldn't resist getting closer, undoing the binding around the man's aroused genitals and kneeling between his parted thighs. He might have been bound, but Jun could feel the barely restrained power in the man as he took Aizen's thick erection into his mouth and began to suck hungrily. Aizen's hips managed to move slightly within his bonds to gently fuck his mouth as he licked, sucked and wetly caressed the man's swollen member.

"Ah," Aizen sighed languidly, "So kind of you, Jun. You are such a lovely young man. You must allow me to reward you."

"Hmmm?" Jun queried uncertainly.

"Relax," Aizen said softly, "Do not be afraid. My zanpakutou has decided to help me reward you for your kindness."

The young man couldn't help shivering as he felt another warm body settle in behind him. Strong fingers threaded into his hair, encouraging the rise and fall of his mouth on Aizen's cock, while the spirit's other hand swiftly deprived him of his clothes and began to prepare him. Jun gave a nervous moan and tried to pull away, but found himself trapped between the bound prisoner and the suddenly manifested zanpakutou.

_But how can it be doing this? His powers are sealed. It is...acting independently of him?_

He started to struggle, but was frozen in place as the spirit invoked an odd, hypnotic power, then entered him in slow, methodical thrusts. It felt odd, dangerous, almost rapturous, being trapped between the two like that. He knew that he should be terrified, but whatever power the zanpakutou spirit held over him would not allow it. He was caught up in the delicious, mind numbing sensations...the absolute thrill of being taken at both ends. And by such a man as Aizen Sousuke and his notorious zanpakutou! He quivered and moaned heedlessly as the spirit grabbed his hips and thrust harder and faster into his restrained form, making him pant and writhe, and clamp down hard on Aizen's thrusting member. Aizen's lusty moans joined his, and he could feel the spirit's hot breath as it pressed up against his back and penetrated him more deeply. Jun gasped as a slender hand wrapped around his thick, damp member, stroking in time with their intense motions. He heard Aizen groan preemptively and began swallowing immediately as the prisoner's blazing seed erupted into his sucking mouth. The spirit lying on his back thrust in painfully hard and scathing heat erupted inside him, making him scream with pleasure as his own cock twitched and loosed its release onto the cell floor beneath them. Jun sagged against Aizen, overcome with numbing bliss. His mind barely registered the sudden shock of power that made him collapse onto the floor at Aizen's feet.

Aizen smiled as the zanpakutou spirit extracted his spent member from the guard's plundered bottom and began to free the prisoner from his bonds.

"Just so you understand," Kyouka Suigetsu said in a low voice, "You freed me, and so you no longer command me unless I choose to obey your wishes. I do not trust you. But I need you to bolster my power, just as you need me now to support yours."

"That makes sense, I suppose," Aizen agreed, "So, we will work together, but only where we both will it. But will you tell me? How did you survive? I remember you crumbling."

"Someone picked up the pieces...and that someone awaits you. You should not trust him either, but he will be useful in continuing our plans against the king. You see, we have found a way around having to use that thing in your chest. You will need to free youself from it, as it is needed for the ritual we will perform. But we have found a way around the sacrifice of a million souls. We need only one special soul. But the man who assisted me will fill you in. We will go to meet him now."

The spirit looked down at the guard's crumpled form.

"Should I kill him?"

"No," said Aizen, shaking his head, "He was rather enjoyable. We will leave him alive, but he shall serve another useful purpose."

He picked up the bindings that had secured him to the chair. Kyouka Suigetsu nodded briefly and picked up the guard, placing him in the chair and waiting as Aizen carefully bound him. Then, the zanpakutou invoked his power, making Jun look like the bound form of Aizen.

"Superb," Aizen complemented the zanpakutou, "You have outdone yourself. Now, it you will change my appearance, we can be out of this dreadful place."

"Of course."

Kyouka Suigetsu quietly invoked his power, and Aizen took on Jun's appearance. And with astonishing ease, Aizen Sousuke waltzed out of the Central 46 prison without so much as a challenge. He left the compound and followed Kyouka Suigetsu into the forested area nearby. The spirit led him to a small clearing, where a hooded man waited for him. Aizen stood calmly, waiting as the man turned and revealed himself.

"Gin," Aizen said softly, surprise lighting his face, "So...you survived."

"No thanks to you," the silver haired man said solemnly, his lips unsmiling, "You owe me Aizen Sousuke...for your broken promises and all of your lies. You never intended for Tousen Kaname and me to stand with you in the spirit dimension, but now you can't get there without me. I have found a way to create the king's key without the sacrifice of a million souls. It will require the willing sacrifice of that infernal stone in your chest. But if you will part with it, I will find you a kind of soul that can be sacrificed instead of all of those people. I know of three shinigamis who have this kind of soul. I won't tell you what it is. I don't want you just using me and trying to kill me off again. We are going to do this together, and then when you are king, you will see to it that I never want for anything...and you will return the arm you tore from my body."

Aizen smiled and his eyes glinted softly in the darkness.

"Very well. I accept," he said, nodding, "Release the seal on my powers then, but not the one on the hougyoku."

"You do know how to unfuse yourselves, ne?" asked Gin, "I wasn't sure how it could be done."

"I will see to that," Aizen said, sighing contentedly as the silver haired man shattered the seal on his powers, "You can just gather those three souls you were talking about."

"All three?" asked Gin, "We only need one."

"We should have extras...in case we run into any snags along the way. That should take care of any unforeseen circumstances, ne?"

"I imagine it would," agreed Gin.

"So, who is our first target?" asked Aizen, looking around the clearing.

"You let me worry about that," said the silver haired man, "I'll take you to my hideout, then while you start working on separating yourself from that stone, I will kidnap our first victim. I must warn you, though. They will be a handful."

"Oh?"

"They are all taichou level."

"But not taichous, ne?" queried Aizen.

"Two are taichous. One is a fukutaichou...with ban kai."

Aizen smiled.

"Abarai Renji?" he asked.

Gin smirked.

"You will see. Let's go and get ready."

He glanced back at the prison.

"You...killed him? That guard?"

"No. He is merely doing a lovely impression of me to keep them from knowing I'm gone until it's too late."

"Hmmm," said Gin, "I don't know if that was crafty, or if you are just going soft."

"There was no need to kill him," said Aizen, "And he was a very good fuck. Ask my zanpakutou. He looked extremely satisfied. Thank you, by the way. He was most pleasant company."

"Oh, you are welcome, Sousuke. I thought you would enjoy him. I certainly did. And what a kindness to leave him in bondage. He loved being tied up and handled roughly. He's probably hard as a rock. I suppose we could sneak back in there..."

"Another time, perhaps," Aizen said, shaking his head, "I am done with that place. I will never see the inside of that prison again."

"No," agreed Gin, cryptically, "I don't believe that you will."

XXXXXXXXXX

"Here's the last of the reports, Taichou," said Renji, yawning sleepily, "Damn, I thought we'd never finish."

"Nonsense," said Byakuya, "I told you that it was merely mind over matter, and you see...it is done. You are to be commended, Renji. Not only is everything done, your writing is actually nearly legible."

Renji laughed softly.

"Yeah, I've had enough practice. That's for damned sure!"

"Well, you may rest your writing hand for the next two days. There are no missions on the board, so you are welcome to take the next two days off with pay, if you like...to reward you for your efforts."

"What? Really, Taichou?" said the redhead, looking genuinely surprised, "Taichou, are you sure you aren't talking in your sleep? You are Kuchiki Byakuya, sixth division taichou, ne?"

"I am," said Byakuya, smirking, "And believe me. As hard as you will train when you return, you are going to need the rest. So go and enjoy your time off. I will handle things here in your absence."

"Well," said Renji, "Okay, if you're sure, Taichou. Just...you know, if anything serious comes up..."

"I will be sure to recall you," the noble promised, "Now, you had best go before my good mood wears off and I change my mind."

"Ah, right," laughed Renji.

He returned to his desk and gathered his things, leaving Zabimaru in the sword stand behind his desk.

"See you in a couple of days, Taichou," he said in parting, smiling as Byakuya nodded briefly in farewell.

Renji left the sixth division and walked down the street to the noodle shop. He inhaled a large order of teriyaki and a glass of sake, then bypassed the bar, as his friends looked to have already gone home. He reached his apartment building and sighed in resignation at finding the elevator wasn't working...again. He stumbled up the stairs and to his apartment, fumbling for his keys as he reached the door and realized he had left them at the sixth division.

"A-gain," he sighed, "Fuck."

He started to turn around, but was hit with a shock of kido, so hard and so fast that there was no time to respond. He collapsed into his attacker's arms and lost consciousness immediately.

"Thanks," Gin said to Kyouka Suigetsu, "Couldn't have been so sneaky without you."

The spirit looked back at him quietly and said nothing.

"Too bad you can't carry him too," Gin complained, flinging the redhead over his shoulder.

"Do your own dirty work," said the spirit off-handedly, "Neither you nor Aizen Sousuke tells me what to do anymore."

"Hmmm," sighed Gin, "Someone is going to need a severe reality check...soon."


	2. Rage

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rukia and Tetsuya come upon the scene of a violent struggle and Renji wakes to find himself a captive of Aizen and Gin.

(This one's going out as a birthday gift to the fabulous Walkure Leaud, brilliant, scheming mastermind of more than a few Spunky storylines, and just an all around pleasure to have as a friend. More birthday gifts are on the way! But I'll lead off with this lovely and wicked request. Thanks going out to all of the wonderful readers who reviewed and PM'ed in support of this story, which...did I say was just another example of Walkure's productive brainstorming after several reader requests for an Aizen/Renji fic? Brilliant...just brilliant! And again, HAPPY BIRTHDAY, WALKURE! Do something fun today! I'll think of you while eating the last of my own birthday cake from a few days ago! Yum!)

"I feel kind of silly doing this," said Rukia, "He probably isn't there and just...I don't know...maybe he has a new girlfriend. Or a new boyfriend. Who knows? I just wish that he had told someone."

"Not to worry, Rukia-chan," said Tetsuya, nudging the black stallion they rode into a trot, "We will find Renji-san."

"Nii-sama was furious when he didn't show up on time for work this morning, especially after he was so kind to Renji and gave him time off. But he left off being angry and started to really look worried when Renji didn't show up at all. Say what you want about Renji being late. He has never gone AWOL, not in the whole time that he has been in the Seireitei. He is completely devoted to his job."

"Not just to his job," added Tetsuya, "but to Byakuya-sama. They have become close friends, although Byakuya-sama is notoriously enigmatic about his emotions."

"Renji seems to fill a space in Nii-sama's life, perhaps because my brother and Hisana were not able to have a child together."

"Yes, Byakuya-sama has been a mentor to him, and Renji-san seems very appreciative. I agree with you that it is unlike him to just not arrive for work. But as I said, do not worry. We'll find him, Rukia-chan."

"Right," said Rukia, "I am just overreacting. I do that sometimes."

"It's not wrong to show concern over a friend, Rukia-chan," Tetsuya said kindly, "And I admit. I am worried about him also."

They left off the conversation as they reached the small apartment building where Renji lived. They took the stairs to the second floor and walked down the quiet hallway to the redhead's door. Rukia knocked on the door several times and called the redhead's name, but received no answer, and neither could hear a sound through the closed apartment door.

"I do not feel his reiatsu in the room," said Tetsuya, "but I feel something odd here."

"Odd how?" asked Rukia, looking around.

"I do not know how to explain it. Something is just...off."

He considered the thought for a moment, then sighed and shook his head.

"Whatever the case," he went on, "It is suspicious that he has dropped out of sight like this. And I think he would forgive us for being concerned enough to check on him, considering..."

"What are you going to do?" Rukia asked.

Tetsuya brought a fingertip to the locking mechanism.

"Controlled kido," the noble answered, "Strangely enough, a technique I learned from Renji. He said that you and he used to have to use it to procure provisions while living on the streets of Inuzuri. I don't think Byakuya-sama approved of the application, but I think this is a time when it would be an appropriate use."

Rukia laughed softly.

"Renji usually wasn't the one who used that technique. It was usually me. He was too likely to have his kido explode and blow up in our faces, ruining what we were trying to steal and setting off alarms so we had to run for it."

Tetsuya smiled and shook his head, then sent a tiny, sharp pulse through the lock. They heard a loud click and the door handle turned easily.

"Very good," Rukia chuckled, "You would have made a good thief, Tetsuya-san."

"Heavens no!" laughed Tetsuya, "I could never have done such a thing! Though...I suppose anyone desperate for food as you were would have to."

Tetsuya pushed the door open and the two stepped into the darkened room. Tetsuya turned on the lights, and the two shinigamis froze at the sight that met them.

"Oh my god!" Rukia hissed breathlessly, covering her open mouth with a hand.

Tetsuya turned her quickly away from the sight and pulled her back out of the room, holding her tightly.

"Oh my god," she said again, "Oh my god...oh my god, Renji!"

Tetsuya swiftly summoned a hell butterfly.

"Byakuya-sama, we will need a security detachment to Renji-san's apartment immediately," he said in a shaken voice.

He handed Rukia off to a concerned looking neighbor and returned to the room, closing the door behind him. He took a steadying breath and studied the ransacked room with a careful eye and extended senses. Then, he walked on trembling legs, careful not to disturb anything within the room and knelt at the side of the bloodied body that laid facedown on the floor.

"Renji-san," he whispered, carefully checking the body for signs of life.

Finding none, he sat back, tears coming to his eyes.

"Renji-san, what happened?"

_His body is cold. He has likely been dead since last night. But why? The room has been destroyed as though the thieves were looking for something. I wonder what they thought he had..._

He remained on his knees, next to his fallen friend's body, his eyes respectfully lowered and his reiatsu pulled in tightly, as the Seireitei alarms sounded outside the building and pounding feet sounded hollowly on the stairs. He heard Rukia sobbing the redhead's name, where the neighbor held her back outside the closed door. And his eyes closed against the sound as the girls sobs rose into horrified screams.

_This doesn't make sense._

_A captain class fighter surprised and murdered by a common thief?_

_What really happened here?_

 

XXXXXXXXXX

"You were gone a long time to come back here empty-handed," commented Aizen, leaning over Renji's unconscious form and studying him carefully, "Wasn't Kyouka Suigetsu sufficient to overcome them?"

Gin let out a disgusted sigh.

"The murder scene your zanpakutou left behind was too flashy. I told him not to be so extravagant. Had we just taken him and left no traces, it would have been better. As it was, Abarai's murder attracted all kinds of attention. It won't be long before the whole Seireitei realizes, not only that it is a deception, but that there is only one zanpakutou that could have created it. We won't be able to set foot in the Seireitei to get the other two."

"Oh nonsense!" Aizen said, casually, "Not one of them is going to be smart enough to figure it out, and anyway..."

"Kurosaki Ichigo is on his way there," said Gin, glaring, "He has never seen your shikai. If they decide to have an open casket, he's going to ruin everything by noticing it's not Abarai's body that we left behind!"

"Oh, stop your fluttering, Gin," Aizen said, shaking his head and tracing the pattern of tattoos across the unconscious redhead's bared chest, "Even if they do figure out that Abarai isn't dead and that an illusion was used to cover that up, everyone thinks that Kyouka Suigetsu was destroyed. It will take time for them to figure this out, and it will be more than enough time for you to grab the two captains. Of course...you could always change your mind about being so secretive and you could share with me how you determined these three would be useful in making the king's key?"

"Not on your life!" Gin snapped, "I would not trust you to not turn around and kill me instantly, once you knew. You are a nasty, murderous backstabber, and I am not leaving myself vulnerable for a moment!"

"Ah, how very cautious of you," Aizen said, smirking.

He straightened and laid the white sheet back over the redhead's chest.

"Well, he is in perfect condition. His power level has risen appreciably since I was incarcerated."

"Well, as much as he hated you for terrorizing his friends, that doesn't surprise me," Gin said, frowning.

"As I recall, you were the one who was a greater torment to his friend, Rukia. She must have told him how you teased her before her near execution. And you also did impale his taichou on your blade. Add to that, you manipulated the hallways in Hueco Mundo so that poor Rukia encountered Aaroniero..."

"Oh, he doesn't even know about that! Stop trying to spook me. It won't work."

"Calm yourself, Gin. I am going to the archive to research the process for making the key this way...although I expect you have already been through the records and removed all references that might have clued me in to just how you determined these three would be useful..."

"Damned straight, I did. I am not going to take any chances, Sousuke."

"You have made that abundantly clear. Now, if you will excuse me."

Aizen left Renji's side and walked to the infirmary door, where he stopped and looked back over his shoulder.

"You'll want to be careful not to damage him," the traitor commented silkenly, "seeing as how you were unsuccessful in obtaining the two others. Perhaps, since you know that we will need his zanpakutou to manifest, you can work on getting him to do that. I am sure that if you apply yourself, you will be more successful than when you attempted to abduct those two captains. Well, I'm off...have fun, Gin."

"Gah!" snapped the enraged shinigami, slamming his prosthetic hand down on the examination table and inadvertently stirring the restrained shinigami.

He scowled at Renji as the redhead's eyes flickered and opened, then focused on him and widened in surprise.

"Hello, Renji," he said, a snaky smile crawling across his face, "Long time, no see, ne?"

"Wh-what the hell?" gasped Renji, staring and realizing suddenly that he was bound, "How in the hell? You're supposed to be dead, you FREAK!"

"Well, surprise, surprise...I'm not," answered Gin, beginning to recover from his anger as his amusement increased, "And that being the case, I need a little bit of help from you."

"I thought that Rangiku said that you turned against Aizen," mused the redhead, "I saw him just walk out of here! How did you get him out of the prison? Why are you doing this?"

"Hmmm," sighed Gin, leaning over him and pulling back the sheet to reveal his chest, then setting several electrodes in place, "You know, truthfully, I did despise him. I still do. The man is a living insult to me, and I am going to kill him someday. But first..."

He held up his prosthetic hand, turning it and studying it for a moment.

"First, I am going to get back what he took from me...everything he took from me! And to begin to do that, I need for you to make your zanpakutou manifest."

"Wha...? Why? What do you want with Zabimaru?" Renji asked, struggling against the kido bindings.

"Oh, nothing much. Don't worry. I won't kill your zanpakutou...not yet, anyway. Do hold still, Renji. You are only going to hurt yourself...but then, wait. I don't mind that so much. Go ahead and struggle then. You know...a snake enjoys a good struggle, now and again."

"Shut up!" Renji yelled, "I'll kill you! You touch Zabimaru and I'll DESTROY YOU!"

"Ooh...I'm shaking in my shoes. Can you see? You are just precious, Renji. All fiery and worked up like that," Gin said, with amused sarcasm, "But, you know, if you are uncooperative, I know a thousand ways to make you cooperate...at least nine hundred that will make you scream. So...do yourself a favor, love. Cooperate, or I might have to get nasty with you. Or...wait...maybe I will get nasty with you anyway..."

"You fucking touch me and I'll rip that fake arm off, and pull the real one off after!" Renji yelled, "Keep your fucking hands OFF of me!"

The redhead gasped as a hard jolt of intense pain erupted through his body.

"BASTARD!" he screamed, his reiatsu swelling under the limiter Gin had placed on him, "What was that?"

"Oh," said Gin, grinning widely, "That...was just a warning. Now, manifest your flea bitten, useless zanpakutou, or I will treat you to some real pain!"

"Fuck you," panted Renji, "You can torture me all you want, but you are not getting to Zabimaru!"

"Hmmm, so you say," Gin replied, moving to a nearby console and pressing several buttons, "But I'll have to differ with you on that. I think you are going to be a good little mongrel and give me anything and everything I want. Because if you don't, I won't just hurt you, Renji. I will make your life a living hell! So, what do you say?"

"What do I say?" Renji repeated, his reiatsu burning under the limiter, "I say, SCREW YOU, YOU FUCKING, SICK BASTARD!"

Gin's trademark grin faded.

"Wrong answer, Abarai," he said in a chilling, dead-calm voice, "I tried being reasonable with you, but you don't seem to understand reason. But you are going to understand and you are going to cooperate. There simply is no other option. Hang on, Renji. This is going to hurt!"

Renji closed his eyes and gritted his teeth, trying to do as Byakuya had taught him...to simply escape mentally as the pain shot through him. He clenched his jaw against the guttural sounds of discomfort that tried to escape him and struggled fitfully to try to break the kido holding him. But the power used to restrain him proved too strong. And the pain seemed to worm its way into his removed mind, stealing in slowly and sending a feeling like fire stinging through his veins. He felt a needle prick, and his mind dizzied and lost its ability to focus. Byakuya had trained him for that too. But even so, the Kuchiki clan leader had admitted up front that such things would not completely shield him.

_"At some point, it may become a battle of wills. And to 'win' and 'lose' are not tangible things anymore. If the situation is dire and you are not going to escape, you can attempt to shut down your mind and make yourself catatonic. But be warned, this is a last resort, and it is extremely dangerous. There is no guarantee that you will emerge from it. Use the power carefully, then...and only when there is no other option."_

But as bad as the pain was, the redhead still had strength to fight, and so...still had options. He strained against the kido bindings, throwing his power into the limiter and shocking the hell out of his snaky captor when the limiter shattered and red reiatsu erupted from his still restrained body, making the room quake around them. The bindings on his body suddenly shattered, and Renji rolled to his feet and immediately attacked the silver-haired man...careful, of course not to call on his zanpakutou. One trembling, enraged hand wrapped around Gin's throat and the other rose, conjuring a huge, red ball of fire.

He moved to release it, but caught his breath in pain and surprise as Gin's sword blazed through his shoulder, impaling him and forcing him back. Renji screamed in agony, his legs collapsing as kido ropes erupted from Gin's hands and snaked around his body. Blood exploded from his injured shoulder as his captor's sword retracted, increasing the damage to Renji's body as it exited. Gin dragged him back onto the examination table and bound him again, then sealed away his powers completely.

"Wh-what are you...doing?" Renji panted, "You can't get my zanpakutou to manifest with my reiatsu sealed. You know that. I know you do. What are you up to?"

"I should kill you for doing that!" Gin snapped, angrily, "but unfortunately, you would be rather useless to us dead, so I'll have to leave you alive. I do warn you, however, you are going to wish I had killed you!"

"Do your worst, you slimy, snaky son of a bitch!" Renji hissed back at him, his eyes glowing with rage, "You can't hand out anything that I can't handle!"

"So you say," Gin said, regaining his composure, and even managing the beginnings of a wicked smile, "Let's just go all out and test that theory...shall we, Renji?"


	3. Scream From the Soul

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aizen realizes that Gin has visited unspeakable horrors on Renji. At Kuchiki Manor, Renji's friends gather to prepare for his memorial. Ichigo is intrigued by a lovely Kuchiki cousin. (My apologies! This chapter was left out on this site, so it actually goes before Chapter 4 "Hollow.")

"Shihoin Yoruichi, Kurosaki Ichigo," Byakuya said solemnly as the cat woman and her ginger-haired companion were led into the gardens, "I thank you for arriving so quickly."

"Your message said that it was serious," Yoruichi said, looking around the tranquil environs, "and that it involved Rukia."

"Yes," said the noble, a very slight tremor in his voice, "Something has happened that has had a great impact on her. I believed that, under the circumstances, she should have her friends around her."

"What is it?" asked Ichigo, unnerved at what he saw in Byakuya's usually placid eyes, "What happened?"

I'd say it was something that got to Byakuya too...

Byakuya paused, and when the words came out, it seemed that the noble couldn't trust it was the truth he was speaking.

"Abarai Renji," he said, his voice softening in a way that sent a shiver through Ichigo, "my fukutaichou and her friend, was murdered."

Ichigo's chest constricted and his head swam at hearing the words. Yoruichi caught her breath in surprise.

"Renji was...?" Ichigo began.

"I allowed him some paid vacation time. When he left the division last night, I told him to take the next few days off...to prepare for the training we were to do. Everything seemed fine. He was pleased at the prospect of some leisure time after everything that has been going on. He was supposed to meet Rukia this morning, but he never arrived. Rukia and my cousin, Tetsuya, went to Renji's apartment to find him, but when they arrived, they found that he had been killed...supposedly by a burglar that he surprised upon arriving at home."

"Oh my god..." whispered Ichigo.

"We sent healers immediately, of course," Byakuya went on, "but it was apparent that Renji had been dead since last night, probably as soon as he was attacked."

"I can't believe this," Yoruichi said, shaking her head, "Renji...he was very powerful. He had reached ban kai! I don't see how some thief could catch him by surprise, let alone kill him. It doesn't seem possible, Byakuya!"

"Those thoughts have been in everyone's minds," said Byakuya, "so much so that I had Unohana taichou run multiple tests and pursue every possibility. She says that something strikes her as strange about this...but she cannot find anything that explains why he couldn't fight back. He had just come from work. We had trained, but not terribly hard. And he had not been drinking, nor even out last night. We cannot make sense of this!"

Ichigo looked up at the noble, noting the weary look in his eyes.

_That's right. This isn't the first time that Kuchiki Byakuya has lost someone close to him._

He glanced at Yoruichi, and an unspoken thought passed between them.

_I think Byakuya is as much in need of a friend as Rukia. He almost killed Renji once, but ever since Rukia's rescue, they've been tight._

"Where is Rukia?" Ichigo asked, "I should get to her right away."

"Go out the back gate," Byakuya directed him, "and follow the forest path to the large waterfall at the top of the cliff. You should find her with Tetsuya. He went walking with her to give her a breath of fresh air. She has hardly left off crying since they discovered Renji's body."

"Go on ahead," Yoruichi directed Ichigo, "I will stay here and see if there is anything I can learn that might explain all of this."

"Okay, sure," said Ichigo, turning away.

Yoruichi waited until Ichigo had left the gardens, then turned back to Byakuya, her golden eyes sad and contemplative.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" she asked, looking into the solemn noble's gray eyes and feeling an ache at the sadness just beneath the surface.

"I appreciate the offer of assistance," Byakuya said softly, lowering his eyes, "But I do not know that there is anything that anyone can do. Renji is gone from us, senpai. And we may never know why. Still, I believe that we will find answers if we continue to study the situation."

Yoruichi smiled sadly.

"Well, then, you will have all of the help that I can give you, of course."

"Arigato, senpai," the noble said, looking up at her again, "I want to know why Renji died. I know exactly how strong he was, and I think something else is going on. I just have no way to prove it. And unless there is proof of foul play, then we will be required by Soutaichou to accept the findings of the responding second division officers."

"Ah," said the cat-woman, "I begin to see how I can help you. I will go and talk to Soi Fon."

She started to turn, but stopped as a hand came to rest on her arm. She looked back at Byakuya questioningly.

"Will you have tea with me first, senpai?" he asked.

He is hurting badly...

"Yes," she answered, giving him a gentle smile, "I will have tea with you first."

XXXXXXXXXX

Ichigo made his way down the quiet forest path, his mind still spinning with the news of his and Rukia's friend's passing.

_When someone is strong, like Renji, you don't think of them dying...especially not in such a senseless way. I don't think Byakuya believes Renji was killed by a simple intruder, and the truth is, I don't believe it either! I think there is more to this than what they found in that apartment. But...right now, I have to focus on helping Rukia. Renji is the only person who has been with her all of this time. He helped her survive Inuzuri and he encouraged her to go to the shinigami academy. They have been friends forever, and she's got to be real broken up by all of this..._

He came out of the forest and found Rukia, standing beneath a small sakura tree, near the waterfall, embracing a young, raven-haired man who looked barely older than them. Her face was buried in the young man's shoulder, under his chin, and her body shook with sobs as the man held her tightly, rubbing her back and talking to her in a soft voice.

"Rukia?" he said quietly, making the two look up.

And as stricken as he was by the sadness in his friend's eyes and the tears on her face, he couldn't help but be taken aback, first by the empiric loveliness of her male companion, and secondly by the intense sadness reflected in the young man's wide sapphire blue eyes. The man's lips tightened at realizing that he and Rukia were no longer alone. And in a heartbeat, his demeanor changed. His eyes clouded to obscure the intense emotion, and he went silent.

"Ichigo!" Rukia sobbed, running to him and throwing her arms around him, "It's horrible! Renji...Renji is..."

"I know," Ichigo said, wrapping his arms around her and holding her tightly, "Byakuya told me. Yoruichi's with him now, trying to see if there's any way she can help."

"Th-that's good," Rukia said, sniffing and rubbing her eyes, "Nii-sama won't say anything, but he is really broken up inside over this. And poor Tetsuya was supposed to be Renji's date tonight. Renji's been trying to convince Tetsuya to go out with him for weeks, but our cousin is pretty shy. We were all looking forward to going out together...me and Momo and Rangiku were going with Renji, Tetsuya, Kira, Shuuhei, Ikkaku and Yumichika."

"You were going out with Renji?" Ichigo asked the young man, who was standing quietly behind Rukia with his eyes lowered.

Tetsuya looked up at him, but held his eyes only for a moment, before looking away. A gentle blush touched his pale skin.

"Yes," he said softly, "Renji-san had convinced me that I should join him for the evening."

He turned his head slightly to look at Rukia.

"Rukia-chan," he said, meeting the young woman's eyes, "As Kurosaki-san has arrived, I will return to Byakuya-sama."

He started to take a step away, but was stopped as Ichigo's hand touched his arm. Tetsuya froze, blinking and staring at the hand that touched him.

"Hey," Ichigo said, good-naturedly, "We're all Renji's nakama. Why don't you stay?"

Tetsuya took a surprised breath.

"B-but, I thought to return to Byakuya-sama. He and Renji-san..."

"Byakuya's with Yoruichi," explained Ichigo, "I think that she'll take care of him. He won't be alone. And you really shouldn't be either. Renji was your friend too, ne?"

Emotion slipped back into the noble's blue eyes and he nodded wordlessly.

"Well, then, any friend of Renji and Rukia's is a friend of mine. C'mon, let's walk back to the gardens together."

Ichigo kept an arm around Rukia and turned her back towards the manor. Tetsuya fell in on the other side of Rukia, his eyes lowered as they began walking. They had only taken a few steps, when hoofbeats sounded behind them, and they stopped, watching as a tall black stallion approached them. The beast moved towards Tetsuya, but slid to a stop in front of Ichigo and reached out his long neck, sniffing at the youth, then nipping lightly at his hair.

"Arashi, stop that at once!" Tetsuya said sternly, "My apologies, Kurosaki-san. I am afraid that my mount has poor manners, at times."

Rukia wiped her eyes and managed a soft chuckle.

"He always teased Renji like that."

She met Ichigo's eyes sadly,

"It means that Arashi likes you."

"Huh," said Ichigo, smirking, "What does he do if he doesn't like you. Eat you for dinner?"

"Don't mind him," said Tetsuya, scowling at the stallion and receiving a blithe stare from the horse in return, "Come, we can ride back."

He helped Rukia onto the stallion's back, then climbed up behind her. He extended a hand and pulled Ichigo up behind him, then nudged the horse with his heels. The stallion glanced back over his shoulder, meeting Ichigo's eye for a moment, then broke into a trot, making the ginger-haired youth wrap his arms around Tetsuya's slender waist.

"S-sorry, he said, wanting to let go, but not certain that he could hold on.

"It's best to hold on with your legs," Tetsuya informed him, "but since you're not used to that, you are welcome to hold on to me."

"S-sure," Ichigo chuckled, feeling a tickle inside as several wispy strands of the noble's hair touched the skin around his face and neck, and he caught the soft scent of sakura, "Thanks, Tetsuya."

Tetsuya's eyes widened slightly at the more personal use of his name, but he brushed it off and focused his attention on where they were going.

"You are welcome, Kurosaki-san."

"Call me Ichigo."

"You are welcome...Ichigo-san," Tetsuya said softly, one blue eye looking back at him.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Gin," Aizen said, stepping into the examination room, "I understand that there are..."

He broke off, noticing that the silver-haired shinigami was not in the examination room.

"Gin?" he said again, extending his senses.

There was no answer.

He took a soft breath, looking around the room and noting Abarai Renji's presence, then moving on to study the desk and computer. He moved past the bound, silent redhead and sat down at the computer, tapping at the keys for several minutes. Finally, he shook his head and sighed, standing. He moved on to the file cabinet next to the desk and searched it carefully.

_You are slippery, my friend, but you can't hide the information from me forever. I will find out what the connection is that these 'special shinigamis' have._

He started to move on to another file cabinet, but turned back as he sensed Gin's presence nearby. He moved back over to where the red-haired shinigami laid, bound to the examination table. As he moved closer and studied Renji in more detail, he frowned and caught his breath in surprise. An unsettled feeling passed through him at the sight of the young man's unfocused, half-opened eyes. He touched Renji's hand and found it warm, but limp and unresponsive.

"Abarai Renji?" he said, looking into the distant, hazed red-brown eyes.

He touched the young man's face, but again was met with no reaction at all.

"How very odd..." he whispered

He conducted a brief examination, and although he found signs that Renji had been injured and recently healed, he found nothing to explain the redhead's current, catatonic state.

_Although I know Gin must have been rough with him, to do this to a man...especially one with Renji's strength..._

He examined Renji more closely, sensing the employment of electrical shocks, pain inducers and sensory disruptors.

"He was rough with you," he muttered, frowning more deeply and looking more closely at Renji's body.

But despite the physical contact and the invasiveness of his investigation, the redhead never moved or made a sound, other than breathing. Aizen scowled, noting that Gin had broken and healed numerous bones in Renji's body, and that, even though he had healed the damage, he had left the redhead feeling the pain of everything that had been done to him. And as he moved further down Renji's body, he inhaled sharply at finding evidence of another kind of assault.

"Unacceptable," he growled softly, "What possessed him?"

He employed a general pain block and then attempted to rouse the redhead, but was met with a blank stare and no movement at all.

"Come now, Abarai," he said disapprovingly, "Gin was cruel, but you are taichou class...even stronger now than you were. Surely, you should be able to manage..."

But Renji did not move a muscle and made no sound as Aizen continued to try to wake him.

"You are still alive," he noted, "and your physical wounds have been healed. I have relieved you of the pain..."

He walked to the console near Renji that Gin had used to torture the redhead, and studied the settings, then reviewed the torments that had been used.

"Ah...perhaps cruel was too kind a word to use. I don't know what that fool thought he was doing. I did tell him no damage. And the physical damage does seem to have been undone, but I am afraid you have been made all too aware of Gin's gift for afflicting, not just the body, but the mind, ne Renji? Snake is too gentle a designation for that one. But there is nothing to be done about it now. At least you are alive. I just hope that 'alive' is enough so that you can serve our needs."

He smiled, a peaceful feeling coming over him at being free again, at being able to continue in his efforts against the king.

_But our efforts won't take us very far if Gin becomes too reckless. I understand his anger and bitterness when it comes to how we parted ways. He is more emotionally bonded to Rangiku than I realized..._

He looked up as the door opened and Gin walked into the examination room.

"Oh," he said casually, "You are back from the archive. Did you find anything useful?"

"Not so much," commented Aizen, "And upon my return, it became clear to me that you ignored my admonition not to damage this man. As we still have no others who meet your 'secret criteria,' it is unfortunate that you have left Renji in such an untenable state."

"I healed him," Gin said flippantly, "There's not a mark on the man."

"No," agreed Aizen, "but he is completely unresponsive. I do hope that you have considered how that might impact our plans."

"Unresponsive?" said Gin, turning an eye to the bound redhead, "Really?"

He moved closer as Aizen stood at Renji's side, watching. And as Gin reached the side of the examination table, the reiatsu around Renji skyrocketed and the redhead's eyes went wide and black with terror. He took a sudden, dragging breath and tore free of his bonds. Before Aizen could react, Renji's hands clenched his sleeve, and the redhead's face buried itself in the folds of the former taichou's clothes. A chill went through Aizen at the horrified scream that Renji loosed as Gin closed in on him.

"Stop," he said, glaring at Gin.

Gin paused, smirking.

"What's wrong?" he asked, his eyes glinting, "You did leave him to me, Sousuke. And when you did, you were fully aware of my methods. That makes you partially responsible, ne?"

"Get out," Aizen said in low, threatening tone, "Why don't you go and try to redeem yourself by bringing us those two taichou's you mentioned? After what you've done here, I don't know that Abarai is going to be useful at all in our plans!"

"Then, I should just end the games and kill him?" asked Gin.

"Go. I will see to Renji."

He watched as Gin left, then looked down at the redhead, who had collapsed against him as Gin left.

"Come with me, Renji," Aizen said, coaxing the dazed prisoner onto his feet, "I will take you somewhere that Gin can't get to you."

Renji stumbled onto his feet and leaned heavily against Aizen as the former taichou led him through several hallways and into Aizen's former quarters. He passed through the room and opened a secreted doorway. They passed through and Aizen closed the door behind them. They slowly ascended a long stairway, into a concealed tower. He helped Renji into the bed in the hidden room, then sat down next to him.

Renji laid on the bed, staring up at the glass dome above him that looked up into Hueco Mundo's eternally dark skies, and again, not moving.

"Gin cannot enter this room, nor can anyone else who I do not allow inside. And...you cannot leave the room. If you try, you will only be returned to it. Rest. I will have food and a healer brought to you. You can avoid any further unpleasantness by being cooperative. I will be back later to speak with you."

He started to turn away, but stopped in surprise as Renji's hand took hold of his sleeve and the man's red-brown eyes fastened on him. It was infuriating, Aizen thought, to see the spirited redhead he remembered, reduced to the fearful wreck of a person he saw in front of him.

_I broke people as I needed to, but when they reached the end of their usefulness. And I did not tend to leave them alive. This is a horrid waste._

He considered ending the redhead's life mercifully, then and there, but concluded that, without knowing the criteria by which to identify others who might be useful, it would be reckless to kill the only one in their possession.

_And besides, with proper care, he might be brought back..._

He sat down on the edge of the bed and watched solemnly as Renji leaned against him and closed his eyes.

"Thank you," Renji said in a low, lifeless voice, "for getting me away from him."

Aizen shook his head.

"I am as much your captor as Gin is," he commented.

Renji said no more, but remained leaned against him and shivering softly.

"I will require you to make your zanpakutou manifest," Aizen went on, "But if you are cooperative, I will not allow any further harm to come to you."

"I can't talk to Zabimaru."

Aizen met the shattered red-brown eyes questioningly.

"I can't feel their presence...and I can't hear their voices."

Aizen considered his words quietly, then slipped his hands into Renji's surprisingly soft red hair.

"Rest," he said quietly, "I am sure that you will be able to connect with them after you have recovered more."

Renji laid quietly on the bed, again swirling the anger inside Aizen.

_The moment I know what criteria marks the useful ones, I am going to kill that man. And this time, he will not slither away and survive!_

He remained sitting silently beside the bed until he was sure that the redhead was sleeping comfortably, then he rose and walked to the hidden door. He looked back at the sleeping redhead, feeling a mixture of fury and something else that he couldn't identify. He shook his head and turned away, leaving the sleeping prisoner behind him.


	4. Hollow (This was mistakenly posted as Chapter 3, but is now in its proper place...Sorry!)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Renji's friends prepare to say goodbye, while in Las Noches, Aizen learns something crucial about Renji's condition.

Aizen Sousuke worked quietly on his computer, glancing now and then at the image in the corner of the screen. His mind registered the arrival of his personal healer in Abarai Renji's room at the top of the tower, and he stole occasional glances as he continued to read the scans of old texts. He frowned and stopped reading as something odd registered about what he was seeing taking place in the redhead's room.

The healer leaned over Renji, saying something to the young man, but getting no reply. Renji laid quietly and allowed the healer to do his work, without so much as making eye contact. That alone, Aizen decided, was unusual for the man. It would have been more in line with Renji's nature to take comfort in some connection with a healer who, by trade, was usually a sympathetic soul, even though sympathy was not enough to make the healer assist him in escaping.

But even more alarming was what Aizen observed as the healer lifted the blankets, exposing Renji's lean, muscular back. All of the bruising and lacerations had been healed and the surface of his skin should have looked perfectly normal, but...

_His tribal markings are gone!_

Before he quite realized what he was doing, he had abandoned computer and office, and was on his way up to the tower, where he moved in through the concealed door and joined the healer at Renji's side.

"Hisao, may I speak to you outside?" Aizen asked.

The healer looked up at him, then nodded briefly and followed him out of the room.

"This man had tribal markings placed by his zanpakutou," Aizen said, once they were out of Renji's hearing, "They were all over his body. They signified his growing power as his powers and abilities increased over time. You and I both just witnessed that the markings are gone...completely gone from his entire body."

"I also read that his spirit centers were incapacitated, likely from shock, and there was no reiatsu flowing through his spirit centers or the blade that was locked in the blade stand," added the healer.

"What does this mean?" Aizen asked in a low voice.

The shook his head and sighed resignedly.

"It may honestly be what I can sense you already expect. Abarai-san may have completely lost his powers and his connection with his zanpakutou."

Aizen's eyes darkened.

"Is there another possibility?" he asked, glancing at the closed door to Renji's room.

"Maybe," said Hisao, his eyes contemplative, "I have reviewed what you provided me regarding Ichimaru-san's interrogation of the prisoner."

Aizen's eyes narrowed.

"I think you know that Gin did not conduct an interrogation at all," he said darkly.

"No," agreed the healer, "As you know, the shinigami soul is a collection and condensation of spirit particles that is held together by the formation of a physical manifestation or body, a consciousness or mind, and an internal moral barometer we refer to as heart."

"Yes, I know all of that," said Aizen, "But what does that have to do with what is wrong with Abarai Renji?"

"Ichimaru-san, as you will remember, perfected the art of interrogation while you and he were here before."

"Yes," agreed Aizen, "Gin was able to extract information from anyone. That came in extremely handy before."

"Well," said the healer, "What I found in Abarai Renji's case were all of the same signs of domination, control and breakdown that we all became so familiar with before. But...devastatingly for Abarai-san, this all occurred with no questions asked, nothing yielded from him, no reason for the pain being inflicted, other than for the pleasure of the tormentor. I do not know what the relationship was between these two men before, but the pure viciousness of the assault on Abarai Renji suggests a personal connection of some kind...something either about Abarai-san, or maybe something about Ichimaru-san that seeing Abarai-san brings out. Whatever the reason, it almost seems as though Ichimaru-san may not have meant to become so violent, but something set him off. He is very unbalanced, Aizen-sama."

"Yes," Aizen sighed, "a formerly useful thing, but now it threatens our mission."

He thought for a moment.

"Is Renji aware of his loss of reiatsu? Of the loss of reiatsu in his weapon?"

"I think that he might be," said the healer, "but he is so disassociated, he is barely communicating. He is on 'auto-pilot' as it were."

Aizen's frown deepened.

"Thank you, Hisao," he said, turning back towards Renji's room.

"Aizen-sama, there is one more thing you should know about Abarai-san's condition," said the healer.

Hisao went on, but the words that struck Aizen's ears next left him dumbstruck.

"Ichimaru-san's sexual assault on Abarai-san triggered something I could not explain."

"What?"

"Well, you know that there is some capability among male nobles to, under certain circumstances, carry children?"

"Yes?"

"But Abarai-san has no trace of noble blood," said the healer, "There has never been a single case of a peasant having this ability."

Aizen's eyes widened.

"Then...Renji is...pregnant?"

The healer leaned closer, talking more softly, as though afraid someone would hear, his voice shaking as he said the words.

"The only other thing this could be...is an occurrence of royal blood outside the spirit realm," he whispered.

Aizen stared at the healer in surprise.

"Renji is...of royal blood?" he asked softly.

"I have read of only one other case of a peasant male bearing a child. And it turned out that he was distantly related to the spirit king."

"But if Renji was a son of the..."

"He is not a son, nor a direct relative, because if it had been detected, he would have disappeared long ago. As soon as he was sensed by the king, he would have been taken into the royal family. Any person with any amount of royal blood is taken to the palace, because the presence of such a person in Soul Society, Hueco Mundo or the living world would constitute a possible threat to him. Such a person could be used to open the gateway to the spirit dimension. I wonder, Aizen-sama, if that wasn't the reason why Ichimaru-san treated him to such cruelty."

"What? I don't understand. Why would Gin abduct Renji, a person who could get us into the spirit dimension, and then virtually destroy his ability to do so?"

The healer met Aizen's eyes meaningfully.

"After Aizen-sama's capture, word came about of the battle and of Ichimaru-san's betrayal. It seems that he never shared your agenda before. And I would respectfully suggest that he still does not."

Aizen stiffened, his reiatsu flaring until the healer winced, and Aizen regained some amount of control.

"If I may offer a bit of advice to Aizen-sama?" the healer went on.

Aizen nodded silently.

"Abarai Renji is in a very precarious state. Body, mind and heart have been shattered, his connection with his fighting spirit, broken. A pregnancy by his tormentor will be the killing blow if it strikes him without some mitigating factor."

"What are you saying?" Aizen asked, frowning.

"I am suggesting that if you wish to be merciful, you will take this man's life now. But...if you wish him to have any possibility of being useful to you, you should make yourself that mitigating factor."

"What?"

"I will be frank," said the healer, shaking his head in frustration, "Either kill Abarai-san to spare him the grief that will painfully destroy him from the inside out...or...cushion the blows for him and attempt to heal him. If you fail to do so, you have lost nothing..."

"But if I can heal him..."

"Then you will have thwarted Ichimaru-san's plans and furthered your own."

"And how do I heal him?" Aizen asked, "I cannot reawaken his spirit centers or put the reiatsu back in his blade. How...?"

"The child."

Aizen's eyes widened.

"Gin's baby?"

"It is also Abarai-san's baby. He is a child of the Rukongai. He has never had a blood connection to his own family. This child presents a connection he has never had. If you focus him on his pregnancy, then he will be able to better shoulder his loss of powers, Aizen-sama."

"And what do I do to...?"

"Because Abarai-san's reiatsu is diminished, for him to survive the pregnancy, he will need someone of strong reiatsu to stabilize his body several times daily. The stabilization may occur through a laying on of hands, or by taking him sexually."

The healer caught Aizen's eye meaningfully.

"I would suggest beginning with the laying on of hands and flowing your reiatsu into his damaged spirit centers. The bonding will open a connection between you, and you will likely find Abarai-san more amenable to...other connections after breaking the ice that way."

"Ah," said Aizen, smirking, "I see. Thank you, Hisao. That will be all, for now."

"Hai, Aizen-sama," the healer said, bowing.

_XXXXXXXXXX_

"Come this way, Kurosaki-san," said Tetsuya, "Byakuya-sama has asked me to see that you are appropriately attired for Renji-san's memorial service. You and I are about the same size, so you may wear something of mine."

"Oh," said Ichigo, following the young noble into his bedroom, "Thanks, Tetsuya. I appreciate that. But I told you to call me Ichigo."

"Ah, my apologies, Ichigo-san."

The two moved into the dressing area, where Ichigo paused in front of the mirror, disrobing as Tetsuya walked into the closet.

"So, you and Byakuya are cousins, ne?"

"Yes," Tetsuya answered, "My father and his were first cousins. They were raised together here at Kuchiki Manor."

"Oh," said the ginger-haired youth, "Then you grew up here too?"

"I...erm..."

"That's cool...you knowing Byakuya as a kid. So, tell me, was he always so...like he is now, or did he actually get to have any fun as a kid?"

"I only..."

Tetsuya stepped out of the closet with a handsome, earth-toned kimono in his hand. Upon seeing Ichigo's fully exposed body, he froze like a deer, the kimono dropping from his suddenly nerveless fingers. He sucked in a shocked breath and bent to pick up the kimono, then found himself at eye level with Ichigo's ample privates, blushing furiously, and trying hard not to look directly. He swallowed hard and regained his feet.

"I w-will have my attendant, Akio, come and assist you," he said, starting to turn away.

"Hey," Ichigo chuckled, laying a staying hand on Tetsuya's arm, "I don't need help getting dressed, and besides, I like talking to you. We're all friends here. And I'm sure you and Byakuya change clothes together, ne?"

"Y-yes," Tetsuya said, staring at Ichigo's hand where it touched his arm, "Our attendants often bathe us at the same time, but..."

He broke off, his face going pale as Byakuya entered the dressing area.

"B-byakuya-sama..." Tetsuya managed, the blush returning to his youthful face with renewed fury.

"Kurosaki Ichigo," the noble said in a low, dead-calm voice, "Unhand my cousin at once! And put some clothes on! I think you have been spending too much time with that cat woman!"

"Was someone talking about me?" said a feminine voice, sending Ichigo dashing behind Tetsuya and the kimono the noble still held in his hand.

Tetsuya caught his breath in surprise as the warmth of Ichigo's bare body registered on his skin.

"Hey!" Ichigo yelled, "I'm trying to dress, here! Would you mind?"

"You didn't look to me to be dressing, so much as attempting to lead my cousin astray."

"Wha...?"

"We are about to announce the engagement of Tetsuya and the daughter of a rival clan leader. The marriage has been years in the making and is important to clan relations. I would appreciate it if you would restrain yourself from damaging my cousin's reputation."

"His rep..."

"Tetsuya," Byakuya said brusquely, "I am sure you have other things to attend to. Send Akio in to help Kurosaki dress."

"He is not moving until she gets out of here!" insisted the ginger-haired youth.

Byakuya sighed.

"Yoruichi senpai, will you please excuse us?" he asked politely.

Yoruichi smirked and crossed her arms.

"What happened to calling me 'cat woman?' Why are you being so formal, all of a sudden?"

"If you will wait in the gardens, I will come to take a walk with you before breakfast," the noble said blithely.

"Oh, very well," Yoruichi said, winking at Ichigo and making him blush harder, "I'm not going to waste my time on a boy who doesn't like girls anyway."

"Will you shut up!" Ichigo objected.

"Come, Senpai," said Byakuya, an odd glimmer of amusement in his eyes, "I believe you're flustering the boy."

He took a step with Yoruichi at his side, then paused for a moment.

"Tetsuya?"

"Erm..." the younger noble stammered, handing the kimono to Ichigo, who held it up in front of him as Tetsuya moved to escape, "Coming..."

He bit his lips and blushed at his own choice of words.

"Hai, Byakuya-sama," he said, recovering himself.

Ichigo watched from behind the kimono as the three left the room.

"Huh," he mused, "Why do I get the feeling that I'm not the only boy here who is not interested in girls?"

He turned towards the mirror as Tetsuya's attendant arrived and began to set the formal kimono in place. His lips curved upward, thinking about the younger noble's shyness, his wide sapphire eyes and guileless face.

_Damn, he's just cute._

_But he's also spoken for..._

_I wonder if Byakuya knows that Tetsuya is gay...or maybe bisexual. He must know...otherwise he wouldn't have been so worried about me being naked in front of him._

He smiled to himself, remembering the small signs of anxiety, the fluttery eyelids, widened blue eyes and slightly trembling hands.

_I got to him all right. I feel kind of bad about it, though. I hope I didn't make him too uncomfortable. He seems like a really nice guy. How in the hell could he have grown up around here?_

"All finished, Kurosaki-san," said Akio, "Breakfast will be ready in the gardens soon."

"Yeah, thanks," Ichigo said, nodding, "Hey, Akio, will you tell me something?"

"Sir?"

"Why is Tetsuya so different from the other noble Kuchikis that I've met here?" he asked.

"Erm..."

"I don't mean to invade his privacy or anything, but I'm just curious. Tetsuya grew up here at Kuchiki Manor, ne?"

"W-well...in part, yes," said Akio, looking uncomfortable.

"And the rest of the time?" Ichigo asked.

"There you are!" exclaimed Rukia from the doorway, "Will you get your poky butt out here already? We're going to start breakfast without you!"

"Hey, you look nice all dressed up like that," Ichigo said, ignoring his friend's abrasiveness.

Rukia's eyes widened.

"Ah...um...thanks," she said uncertainly, "You look really good too. That's Tetsuya's, ne?"

"Yeah, he let me borrow it for...the memorial."

"It looks really good on you."

"Thanks."

The two glanced over at the table, where Byakuya sat with Yoruichi on one side and Tetsuya on the other.

"Everyone's really on edge, huh?" he added.

"Yeah," said Rukia, "This is really horrible for all of us, Ichigo. I mean, it's awful for me because Renji and I grew up together. But Byakuya is really hurting too. He and Renji spent hours together every day at the sixth division. They ate together and trained together. And Renji said that my brother started to open up to him, a little here and a little there...about all sorts of things. They were friends...and Byakuya doesn't open up like that to many people."

"Renji had a way of getting people to do that...to open up and connect."

"There are going to be a lot of people here, saying goodbye to him, Ichigo. He's really going to be missed."

"Yeah," agreed Ichigo, slipping an arm around her and turning her towards the table, "We're all going to miss him."


	5. Shattered Illusions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aizen makes what he thinks is a strategic move, but may be more than he thinks. At Kuchiki Manor, Renji's memorial begins.

Aizen opened the door to the tower room and found Renji sleeping on his stomach with the covers still down as the healer had placed them during his examination. He frowned again at the sight of the young man's skin looking so uncharacteristically pale and, without the tribal markings, naked. He moved forward silently and sat down in the chair next to the bed, thinking deeply. He was certain that Renji seeing the bare state of his skin would make him have some kind of strong reaction.

_And I do have a desire to see him react with more spirit. Despite the fact that he had too independent a nature for the fifth division, I have always rather admired creatures of strong spirit. It is painful to see him reduced to this. Abarai Renji is the kind of person who should only die with his weapon drawn and defending the ones he is loyal to. Such a far cry from the ones I usually find are most useful to me. However...he now possesses something that is of great value to me...something that will require great care to extract._

He gazed at the redhead's tangled hair and bare back, his mind considering what to do.

_The healer is right, he thought, A more merciful man would kill him where he lies and put an end to his suffering. For a shinigami deprived of his powers will die inside anyway, especially a shinigami who fought his way from the poor streets of the lower Rukongai to the position of fukutaichou. But...I am not a merciful man._

_No...I am a much more wicked man than that..._

His hand strayed to his zanpakutou, and he whispered a soft command. Instantly, the markings appeared, just as they had been when he had examined Renji's body just after his capture. He looked them over carefully to make sure they were as he remembered them, then added a small black band on each wrist. He looked them over one last time, then gently shook the redhead to wake him.

He didn't miss the look of surprise, nor the quick effort to hide his reaction. His lips twitching slightly, he looked up at Aizen, waiting.

"You haven't eaten," he commented, glancing at the tray of uneaten food.

"I have no powers," Renji stated in a low, defeated tone, "Why bother?"

Aizen took a soft breath.

_Not yet..._

"It might improve your spirits to do something normal...something comforting."

"Yeah," said Renji, looking away, "well being from Inuzuri, I got used to not having food as a comfort. As much as I like Taiyaki, I probably would have been fat if I hadn't grown up where I did."

"If I provide you with some suitable Taiyaki...then, you will eat?"

"I told you. I don't need to eat. I don't give a shit about feeling better. I don't give a shit about anything."

"Don't you want to go home?" asked Aizen.

Renji shook his head.

"I'm not going home."

"Come now," said Aizen, "I said that if you cooperated, I would..."

"And that means jack shit!" snapped Renji, his red-brown eyes expressing surprisingly more hurt than anger, "You aren't going to let me go. You are going to use me to get whatever it is that made you want to grab me, and then you are going to kill me. I already know what a bastard you are. You can't lie about that to me anymore."

Aizen smiled, enjoying the hint of returning spirits in the redhead.

"Touché," he said, "I must admit that I am not without an agenda."

"I don't care about your agenda."

Aizen's hand extended and caught the redhead underneath the chin. He glared down into Renji's lifeless eyes.

"Then, what do you care about?" he asked.

"Nothing," Renji whispered, closing his eyes.

"Nothing?" queried Aizen, "The red haired warrior that challenged Kurosaki Ichigo, defied Kuchiki Byakuya and refused to hand Rukia over to me, despite me nearly cutting you in half for it, cares about nothing? Do you really expect me to believe that?"

"Yeah, well...things were different then...I...was different then."

"Why," asked Aizen, "because you were powerful? So, in truth, you have not ceased to care, you have only given up because you think you have nothing to offer them. You define 'worth' as the power that runs through your body, ne Renji?"

"You don't know jack about me," Renji said, turning his head away.

Aizen recaptured his face and looked more deeply into his eyes.

"I know more about you than you know about yourself," said Aizen, "And I can show you where you are completely wrong in your perception."

"What?" asked Renji, skeptically, "How? Are you going to tell me how I don't need to be powerful to have a meaningful life? Save your breath. Tell that shit to someone who cares!"

"Would you care more if I told you that someone's life depends on you, right now?" asked Aizen.

"Huh," huffed the redhead, angry tears forming in his eyes, "You managed to sound nice for all of five minutes, but now's when you get ugly, right? You're going to threaten Rukia again? My taichou? My other friends? Don't bother. I know I'm useless to them, so I won't make the mistake of trying to be their hero. Just leave me alone. Use me and fucking kill me already. I don't care. You're not going to get any help from me. And I don't care how you hurt me for it. I can lie down and let Gin have at me all over again...and I know, having been there before, I won't be stupid enough to survive it this time."

"I told you that I won't let Gin touch you again...and there are no conditions on that."

"Then why did you let that demented psychopath get his slimy hands on me in the first place?" Renji asked bitterly, "So you could be 'the good cop' and 'rescue me?' Fuck that shit! I don't trust you anymore...not after what you did...to Rukia, to your squad, to Momo, the other taichous...my Taichou! I won't forget how you lied to everyone and betrayed our trust. I am never going to trust you! So give up trying to get me to let down my guard!"

"Get you to let down your guard?" repeated Aizen, smiling at him, "I would say that your guard is down...demolished. And if I wanted your complete surrender, I could have it faster than the words could leave my lips. But it is not capitulation I am looking for here. And I will never ask you to trust me...not ever."

"Then, what do you want from me?" asked the redhead, glaring up at him, "You want me to be like those gullible Espadas and 'follow' you? Don't even ask."

"Don't worry," Aizen said smoothly, "I won't. But it is odd to hear you talk about a former enemy that way...as though you could care."

"They were respectably strong fighters," said Renji, "And they believed that they were fighting for something important."

"You see," said Aizen, his smile returning, "You never fail to intrigue me with your ability to look past a person's faults and to find their most redeeming qualities. And it makes me curious, Abarai Renji. Will you do this for the person who is depending on you?"

Renji stared back at him for several long minutes, then sighed resignedly.

"Fine," he said, shaking his head, "I'll bite. Tell me who it is. Who is depending on me? Who would be stupid enough to do that now?"

Aizen left one hand on the redhead's face, and reached down with the other to touch Renji's abdomen. Renji watched, frowning as Aizen's reiatsu flared softly, then was suddenly answered with a responding flare. The redhead's eyes widened as comprehension fell over his features, making him go extraordinarily pale, so that the illusion markings stood out starkly against his skin.

"Oh..." groaned the redhead, paling even more, "Oh, holy hell! How did...? How could I be...? And why? Why would that twisted, sick, snakey son of a bitch do that!"

"I do not think that it was intentional," said Aizen.

"Y-yeah," Renji managed, letting out an unsettled breath, "I don't think he would have seen that one coming. I've heard of this happening to nobles before, but not...I mean, I don't know or anything...if there could have been a noble relative somewhere. I guess there must be, ne? That's news to me."

He went quiet, staring back at Aizen with the beginnings of hope in his eyes.

_That's right..._

"So," he said finally, "What is it going to take to get me and my kid back home alive?"

_I have you..._

_Once again, hope proves to be the most relentless of traps._

"Cooperate with me," said Aizen, "For now, that means to eat...rest...and get well. We will deal with the rest as it happens. Come now, I will have fresh food brought while we bathe. You would like to bathe, ne?"

"Not with you," said the redhead, matter of factly, "I can bathe myself."

"Oh," said Aizen, "I must insist on accompanying you. I am concerned that I would come to find you had drowned yourself."

"You really don't plan on letting me have any openings, do you?"

"No."

"I see. And what if I say no?"

"Do you really despise me enough to neglect yourself, just to avoid being naked with me? I give you my word, I will not have sex with you while we bathe this time. In actuality, I wish to engage in a kind of bonding that will be necessary to stabilize your body so that it can handle your pregnancy."

"So...you really want me to have this baby...Gin's baby, right? Why? Because I know better than to think you're doing it to be 'nice.' There's something in this for you."

"Yes."

"And you're not going to tell me what it is?"

"No. But...there is nothing to be gained by resisting. Come, Renji, you will feel better after a warm shower and the bonding I told you about."

He extended a hand in the redhead's direction, then shook his head, smirking as Renji moved around it and stood. He followed Aizen wordlessly out of the tower and through several long hallways to a large atrium. Renji passed through the doorway, stopping to study the lush, beautiful gardens within the room. Aizen led him to the center of the room where they undressed and stepped down into a large, heated pool, then crossed it and stood beneath a small waterfall. Aizen watched out of the corner of an eye as the redhead closed his eyes and let the water run through his unbound hair and down his back.

"I don't suppose you have soap? Shampoo?" Renji asked.

Aizen smiled and reached back behind the waterfall, where there was a small dispenser. He applied the soap to his hands, then nudged Renji out from underneath the waterfall. Renji flinched as Aizen's hands first touched him, then went quiet and still as Aizen's hands moved over his body. The former taichou sighed and let his hands follow the curves of the redhead's body, coating him generously in the foaming soap. Over shoulder and arm, down his long, muscular back, lingering over his bare, tattooed bottom, then moving down his legs. He bent to wash each long, well-muscled leg, then slid back up his thighs and paused at his privates.

"I think I will let you take care of that...this time," Aizen breathed in his ear.

Renji shivered, biting at his lips to fight off a strong reaction. He cleaned himself wordlessly, then looked up at Aizen and stepped under the water, letting it wash the soap away. Aizen moved in behind him and coaxed him out from under the water again, where he worked shampoo into the thick lengths of Renji's red hair. He noticed immediately, the catching of breath...the unwilling sigh as Renji sank into his hands, reluctantly enjoying the gentle contact.

"Tell me something," Renji said quietly, "Why did you do it? Why did you replace my tattoos. I know because of the extra ones you added, that you figured I already knew. So...why would you replace them?"

Aizen studied him in silence for a moment, then nodded.

"I prefer that you should have them," he said simply, "And I added the two markings on your wrists to put your powers under my control as they return. It is, I think, a better option than sealing your powers completely."

"I didn't think you were just being kind..."

"I am glad that I could affirm your low opinion of me," said Aizen, smirking, "You can rinse now."

Aizen watched, rapt, as Renji ran water through his hair, washing away the shampoo and leaving it still tumbled and wild, but clean. He took a comb from a small shelf beneath the falls and slowly combed out the tangles until the long strands fell straight down Renji's back, tickling and sweetly accentuating his lovely illusion-tattooed bottom. Aizen stepped back for a moment to return the comb to the shelf, then pulled Renji under the falls and wrapped his arms around the redhead from behind. Renji took a hissing breath and stiffened.

"Relax," Aizen breathed into his ear, sending a hard shiver down the redhead's spine, "I am just stabilizing your body. Stand still."

Renji bit down on his tongue, closing his eyes and trying to fend off his body's instant reaction to having his lower abdomen caressed and infused with warming reiatsu. He flinched as Aizen's hand brushed against his errant member, and bristled as the other man's soft laughter rumbled against his bare back.

"Shut up," Renji snapped, "I thought that you said that..."

"I said that we would not have sex," Aizen answered in a seductive voice, "and we will not...however much your body seems to be desiring it."

"I may be powerless," Renji muttered, "but I'm still a guy. I get touched like that, I can't help responding."

"Ah..." said Aizen, "but how will you respond to this?"

Renji registered a full-body shock as Aizen pushed him back against the stone wall beneath the water and captured his lips in a long, hot, wet, open-mouthed kiss. He captured Renji's curled fist as the redhead struck at him, and smiled into the redhead's furious eyes.

"That," he said, narrowing his eyes and smiling, "is much better, Renji."

XXXXXXXXXX

Ichigo sat quietly next to Rukia on a garden bench, watching as the guests filed in and were led to the seating area. Byakuya stood with Tetsuya at his side and the Kuchiki elders all around them, greeting mourners as they entered.

"Can I ask you something?" he asked his fidgety friend.

"What?" Rukia asked, sounding distracted.

"About your cousin...Tetsuya. You said that he was 'dating' Renji, ne?" Ichigo asked.

Rukia managed a soft, unwilling smile.

"Well...sort of. They were getting to be friends, but Tetsuya is really shy. He hates being the center of attention."

"So, Renji was trying to get him to open up a little? Is that it?"

"Ah...kind of. You see, we all really like Tetsuya, but he has trouble letting himself relax with people."

"Why's that?"

"It's...a long story," said Rukia, her eyes touching Tetsuya, then returning to Ichigo's, "But, the truth of it is...he spent the early part of his life in prison."

"What?" asked Ichigo, frowning, "Why?"

Rukia sighed.

"You know how my brother's marriage to Hisana was against the clan laws, as was his adopting me?"

"Yeah..."

"Well, further back, it was wasn't just frowned upon for nobles to marry peasants. Tetsuya's father fell in love with a peasant girl and he left Kuchiki Manor and went into hiding in the Rukongai so that they could be married. But...someone found them, and they were abducted from the town where they lived, and taken to a hidden, illegal clan prison called Itamigiri...the place of honorable pain. Tetsuya's father was executed there, and his mother died while he was a small child. He developed a close friendship with another boy. I think that they fell in love, but being separated by the bars on their cells, they couldn't be together."

"Damn..." Ichigo whispered.

"Byakuya's father searched for his cousin, but was never able to find him. But when my brother was an older teen, he discovered the location of the prison and led a rescue effort. He found Tetsuya there...but the boy that had been his friend was killed during the rescue. Byakuya had the boy buried here and took Tetsuya into the family. A lot of the family members held on to their dislike of the 'half-bloods' or 'mixed-bloods' as they called them, and things were hard for Tetsuya as he adjusted. That's why he is so quiet, and he is always near my brother. He has devoted himself completely to serving my brother as his personal bodyguard, and head of house security, as payment for Byakuya freeing him."

"So that's what's between them," Ichigo said, eyeing the younger noble.

"Anyway, because he was incarcerated through most of his childhood, and looked down on, Tetsuya has always shied away from people. Byakuya has been trying to get him to open up a little, so when Renji told him we were all going out and we were trying to convince Tetsuya to go with us, he told Renji that he would permit Tetsuya to go if Renji went as his 'date.'"

Ichigo chuckled.

"So...he figured that Renji wouldn't make any moves on Tetsuya..."

"And Renji could make sure that no one else did, either. But Byakuya also believed that it would be a way to get him to relax with people more his age. Renji didn't really have romantic feelings for him or anything...and Tetsuya hasn't gotten close to anyone since Naoki."

"But Byakuya knows Tetsuya is gay, ne?"

Rukia's lips stiffened.

"Byakuya did have that boy buried on our land so that Tetsuya could mourn him properly. He still goes every morning to visit the boy's grave. Byakuya knows."

"And he still is going to make Tetsuya marry the girl from that other clan? Why?"

"That's complicated. You see..."

She broke off as the last of the guests filed past Byakuya, Tetsuya and the elders and sat down.

"It's time..." she said, swallowing hard.

She stood, but couldn't seem to make her feet move.

"Rukia," Ichigo said, taking her hand, "It's going to be all right. Come on."

Tears came to her eyes, but she managed to move forward with him, joining the line of friends filing past the place where Renji's body had been dressed in his uniform and placed on a pyre.

"It is a sign of great honor for Byakuya to allow Renji the courtesy of having him cremated in ceremony here, on Kuchiki land. He will also be buried here. It is..."

She paused, sniffing.

"It is...akin to admitting that he was like a brother...or a son. That is how highly he thought of Renji, in the end."

"Yeah," Ichigo said softly, "I gathered that."

They stopped talking as they reached the funeral pyre and bowed their heads to show respect. Ichigo's heart shook inside him, and his lips tightened as he forced himself to look at Renji, to make his friend's death real to him.

But what he saw...was unreal.

"Rukia," he mouthed, touching her arm.

The girl ignored him, but couldn't ignore him as he poked her harder.

"Hey..."

"Shh," Rukia chided him, "We're not supposed to..."

"Rukia, look at him!"

"What?" she whispered back, "I am looking at him, you nitwit! What's wrong with you?"

"It's not him! Rukia, it's not Renji!" Ichigo said louder, drawing a scathing look from Byakuya.

"Kurosaki Ichigo," the noble said, frowning, "You are disrupting..."

"I know...and I'm sorry!" Ichigo said, making the entire gathering go dead silent, "But look at him, Byakuya! That is not Abarai Renji! Just look at him! Can't any of you see? That is not Renji!"

Tetsuya stepped forward and laid a hand on Ichigo's arm.

"Kurosaki-san, I am going to have to ask you to leave, or our house security forces will remove you. You are disrespecting your friend, and all of us..."

"No, Tetsuya, no! I'm not!" Ichigo cried, "I swear, I'm not! Just look and you have to see! You know him!"

Tetsuya started to signal the house guards, but stopped as Byakuya and Rukia stepped forward and gazed intently at the body on the pyre. Tetsuya joined them a moment later, blinking as he looked downward. Their eyes widened as realization fell over them and the cold truth struck them.

"An illusion," Byakuya whispered shakenly, "But...there is only one zanpakutou that could fool us all like this! And it was supposed to have been destroyed..."

Ichigo's heart stopped in his chest.

"You...don't mean...?"

Byakuya broke away from them with Tetsuya at his side, rallying the house guards around them.

"Sound the house alarms and prepare a security team to accompany Shihoin Yoruichi, Tetsuya, Rukia, Kurosaki Ichigo and me to the Central 46 prison! And send a general alert to Soutaichou and all divisions, warning that Aizen Sousuke may well have escaped!"

He glanced back at the body on the funeral pyre.

"And report to all agencies that Abarai fukutaichou of the sixth division has been abducted! If he has not yet been killed, he is, at very least, in extreme danger!"


	6. Trail of Illusions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tetsuya puts himself in harm's way to protect Byakuya and the others, while Aizen begins to take a very deep interest in his captive.

"This is, of course, very distressing to consider," said High Councilor Takamori, "but I am sure that, given all of the protections that we have placed around that criminal, he cannot have escaped. Still, I agree with you, Kuchiki taichou, that we must be certain."

"That is why I have brought Kurosaki Ichigo with us. He has, to this day, never seen Kyouka Suigetsu's shikai, so he should be able to tell us if the 'Aizen' entrapped here is the real one or not," said Byakuya, following as the High Councilor led them down through the prison levels.

Yoruichi, Tetsuya, Rukia and Ichigo followed close behind as they made their way quickly to Muken, which had been placed on high alert. Nervous guards waited outside the cell door, their eyes haunted as they encountered the group.

"It has been quiet," reported the lead guard, "There have been no recent disturbances."

"That is good," said the high councilor, "but I will feel better once Kurosaki Ichigo has confirmed that. After what Aizen was able to do before..."

"Well," said Byakuya, "we shall know for certain now."

He nodded to the guard.

"Open the door."

Ichigo moved to the front of the group, and Tetsuya took up a protective position in front of Byakuya and the high councilor. The lead guard took a steadying breath and unlocked the door. As he opened it, Tetsuya inhaled sharply, picking up an odd clicking sound. He reacted instantly, shoving the head councilor, Byakuya and Ichigo aside and sending his zanpakutou into ban kai.

"Ban kai," he cried, Koori no Bakuha, Re-kuhime!"

The other's stared in shock, only beginning to react as fire billowed up in front of the lone shinigami. A think wall of ice formed in front of Tetsuya, instantly sealing the door as it exploded outward. The gathered shinigamis dove to the floor, with the exception of the young noble, who raised his reiatsu to full power as the ice wall disintegrated and showered the group with fine, white snow. A cyclone of water erupted to put out the remaining fire as the group was thrown back roughly against the far wall.

"Kami!" cried the high councilor, dragging himself onto his hands and knees and coughing on the thick smoke in the air. Yoruichi climbed to her feet, where she had fallen, protecting Rukia, and Byakuya and Ichigo disentangled themselves from each other, while the guards helped each other to their feet.

"Tetsuya!" exclaimed Ichigo, flash stepping to where the young noble had been thrown into a stone wall, and had collapsed in front of it.

"Send for a medical team quickly," the high councilor said, holding a hand to a bleeding injury on his head.

"Tetsuya," Byakuya said breathlessly, crawling to his cousin's side and lifting the unconscious shinigami into his arms.

"He looks like he's in pretty bad shape," Ichigo said worriedly.

"His shield and reiatsu took most of the force of the blast," said Yoruichi, shaking her head to clear it, "I think we all would have been roasted if he hadn't reacted so quickly."

"Tell that medical team to hurry!" Byakuya said stridently, "He appears to be going into shock."

"It'll be faster if one of us takes him back to the manor and Orihime heals him," suggested Ichigo, "I can take him if you want. I think it's pretty clear that Aizen isn't in there."

He rose and walked to the shattered cell door, peering inside and nodding.

There was someone in there," he went on, "But knowing that Aizen is immortal tells me that the remains in there aren't his."

"No," agreed the high councilor, "I do not know how long he has been free..."

"But Renji's involvement," said Byakuya, "suggests that the escape happened when Renji was abducted and the illusion of his body was left behind."

The clan leader nodded to Ichigo.

"I must remain here, but I do appreciate your offer to take my cousin to be healed at the manor."

"I'll leave now," the ginger-haired youth said, accepting Tetsuya's unconscious body from Byakuya.

"Arigatou," Byakuya said solemnly, "I will return as soon as I am able. Rukia, please go on ahead to the manor and make certain that Inoue Orihime and our staff are prepared for Tetsuya's arrival."

"Hai, Nii-sama!" Rukia said, flash stepping away.

"Hang in there, Tetsuya-san," Ichigo whispered in the young noble's ear as he followed in Rukia's wake, "You're going to be home and resting comfortably in your own bed in no time!"

XXXXXXXXXX

Aizen Sousuke looked up from where he worked on his computer as Gin walked into the laboratory, wearing a pleased expression and laughing softly.

"My, you are in a lively mood," he observed, "Don't tell me you have secured those two taichous..."

"No," said Gin, "although I did nearly have one of them lured in. If not for those fools finally springing the trap I had Kyouka Suigetsu set up within Central 46, to warn me of when they discovered your escape, I would have had the old dru..."

He stopped himself and smirked at Aizen's curious expression.

"You set a trap within Central 46?" he asked, his frown deepening, "When was this?"

"Hmmm," said Gin, "I believe it was after you complained about the flashy 'murder' of Abarai Renji. I thought you might appreciate me making sure that guard who assisted us didn't talk."

"Perhaps," said Aizen, still frowning, "but he was such a lovely young man...quite talented, actually. Kyouka Suigetsu and I were very pleased with him. I had intended to leave him alive."

"But we wouldn't want to hand those ridiculous people any information," insisted the silver-haired shinigami, "As much as it turns this situation so far in our favor..."

"Ah, but you've ruined my day, thinking of the horrid slaughter of that exceptional young man. What, exactly did you do, anyway?"

Gin smiled.

"It was devilishly clever," he said, obviously reveling in the reveal, "He set explosive charges, hidden by illusion, but activated only when the door was opened in the presence of one who had never seen your shikai. From what I heard before returning to Las Noches, Kurosaki Ichigo was the one who acted as the trigger."

The edges of Aizen's lips twitched gently, and his face betrayed a hint of amusement.

"Was he injured?" he asked softly.

"I am not sure," said Gin, I left as the Seireitei alarms sounded and felt the disturbance from the blast just before I crossed over. I must say, it left me with quite a satisfied feeling..."

"Truly, you are glowing with smugness," acknowledged Aizen, beginning to shut down his computer.

"Oh," said Gin, "Don't tell me that Jun's death upset you and you're going to go off somewhere and cry for him."

"No, actually," Aizen replied, "though I am not happy with your overly loud and less than subtle activities..."

"Well, I must have some fun, now and again."

"But you are quite vicious at times, Gin. And when you become too involved, you lose your subtlety."

Gin's smile faded.

"My apologies," he said, in a rare moment of seriousness, "but I admit that I am quite bitter at how those old, rich men still lord it over the common folk, and ignore their responsibility to see that justice is handed out equally. The ones they chose after you killed the last ones are just as rotten as the former ones."

"Oh, you just have hurt feelings that they never acknowledged that you were secretly working against me, and your name was never cleared. You poor thing. After all you did to assist them by killing me. But then, had you been successful..."

Gin's reiatsu darkened notably, and he turned away.

"Oh, did I ruin your good mood?" commented Aizen, "My apologies. just pointing out the facts. I am as aware as you are that as long as the noble families dominate Central 46, there will be no justice in the Seireitei. Perhaps, now that you see that too, we can truly work as allies in bringing down the king and changing things."

"There are only three things I want to change," said Gin, "And I am well on the way to seeing those things done."

"Very well," said Aizen, nodding approvingly.

He paused as the door opened and a hollow stepped into the room.

"Aizen-sama, there is a problem with Abarai-san."

Aizen's eyes darkened.

"What is it?" he asked sternly.

"The healer attending him says that he experienced what must have been a powerful flashback and he has become unresponsive again."

Aizen glanced at Gin, whose smirk had returned.

"I was being kind when I said that you had become vicious," the former leader of the hollows commented, "Considering that Renji is still the only one of the three that we have captured, you were very reckless in damaging him as you did."

"He deserved it for his belligerence and for getting in my way before," the silver-haired shinigami said, shrugging, "But perhaps you are right that I went a bit too far. It was just knowing how it would stab both that prissy Byakuya and his noble-worshipping sister, Rukia in the heart..."

"Ah, you haven't forgiven Byakuya for being head of the Kuchiki clan."

"Not just being clan leader," said Gin, his slitted eyes opening slightly, "But looking down on everyone except that little trollop he married and her lookalike sister."

"Oh Gin, I think you are just jealous that he never noticed the adoring way you looked at him. Truly, I think you were smitten."

"Not that he would have given me the time of day."

"Ah...no, probably not," agreed Aizen, "But I think you let him get to you too much. You should focus on finding your satisfaction elsewhere."

"Like you have?" suggested Gin, "That kiss you gave Abarai was rather steamy, wasn't it, Sousuke?"

"Oh, don't be snarky, Gin. It is so unbecoming," said Aizen, standing and heading for the door, "Why don't you cease invading my privacy and causing explosions, and refocus your efforts on capturing those taichous? If you have rendered Renji useless, at least try to redeem yourself by giving us other options."

"Who says he is ruined?" asked Gin, smirking, "That brat growing in his belly has his own use."

"You know about the child?" Aizen said, frowning.

"Of course I do," acknowledged Gin, "I impregnated him intentionally."

"Hmmm, I thought that it would have been rather careless of you to do so unintentionally, but, you say that the child will be useful? How?"

"I think I will just keep that to myself, for now," said the silver-haired shinigami.

"I thought, perhaps, you might," Aizen sighed, taking his leave of his colleague.

He left the laboratory and headed for the tower, careful to reinforce the protections around the tower as he went.

_Gin is extremely unstable, it seems. One moment more with Abarai and that redhead might just breathe his last. And we wouldn't want that..._

Although he wouldn't have wanted to admit that his reasons for desiring a better fate for the red haired man were anything but strategic. He was somewhat relieved to reach the tower in time to head off his thoughts before they traveled much further along that path. He released everything in a soft breath, before passing through the seal on the door and entering Renji's room.

The redhead laid on his stomach in the large, cushioned window seat, where he had been sleeping when the flashback had occurred. Aizen felt an odd chill inside at the lifelessness in Renji's opened and senseless eyes, and the unnatural stillness of that vibrant, usually too active body. He sat down next to the redhead as the healer shook his head and frowned unhappily.

"What happened?" Aizen asked, "He was responding quite well to me before."

"You must expect he will have setbacks," said the healer, "As much as you were able to calm and soothe him, recovery from such physical and emotional torments occurs very slowly...two steps forward, one step back, if you will."

"And what is to be done to bring him through it?" Aizen asked, capturing Renji's warm, calloused hand in his.

"Keeping him from any contact with his attacker is a good beginning," suggested the healer.

Aizen nodded.

"That was my purpose in placing him in the tower."

"But you know that Ichimaru Gin is a crafty man. It is understandable that Abarai-san would be anxious about him finding his way in here."

"So...what is to be done? I have strong protections around the room when I am..."

"Your presence provides a stronger feeling of protection," the healer said, matter-of-factly, "There is no chance of Ichimaru-san stealing inside if you are there."

"But I cannot stay with him all of the time," objected Aizen.

"If you want the man to eat and sleep enough to make significant progress, and to have a healthy child, then you should at least be present when he is eating and sleeping."

"I see," said Aizen, "Is there anything to be done now to help him?"

"The pregnancy is destabilizing his reiatsu right now. I suggest that a laying on of hands over the area and infusions of calming reiatsu will soothe him. Perhaps as he grows more comfortable, he will surface again."

"Ah...yes, well. I will see to that," said Aizen, "You are dismissed."

"Hai, Aizen-sama," said the healer, bowing and moving to exit the room.

Aizen sat quietly next to the redhead, gazing out at the nighttime skies and still touching his limp hand. He left Renji's side to slip out of his clothes and to wrap a silken yukata around his muscular body. Then, he laid down next to the redhead, wrapping his body around Renji's, and bringing his hand to the redhead's soft belly. He produced a soft swell of calming reiatsu and let it sink into Renji's unmoving body. At first, the redhead remained still and limp in his arms, but as the reiatsu slowly brought him back into balance and Aizen's warm hand continued to gently caress his abdomen, Renji stirred and blinked slowly.

"What's happening? What are you doing?" he asked in a dull, sleepy voice.

"I am stabilizing your child's reiatsu," Aizen told him, "Relax and rest quietly."

He found himself expecting...nearly desiring some kind of angry response, but the redhead only sighed and closed his eyes again, giving himself over into sleep as the reiatsu infusion continued. And even when it was done, Aizen left his hand rested on Renji's belly. He gazed out at the stars, scenting the other man's wild, masculine scent and feeling a hungry twinge in his loins. He burrowed his face into Renji's surprisingly soft hair and made a line of kisses along the side of his throat. Renji stirred and moaned softly, then drifted off again.

_Such an intoxicating scent...quite primal...stimulating, he mused._

He parted the thick hair and ran his tongue lightly along the illusory black lines on the back of the redhead's neck, making him flinch and shiver in his sleep. Aizen's cheek rubbed against the area, soothing him into sleep again, and then his hand slid very slowly down his belly to touch his warm, soft genitals.

Renji's eyes flew open and he pulled free of Aizen, placing his back against the cold, thick windowpane and glaring wordlessly. Aizen gazed back at him silently, then almost smiled as he noticed Renji's eyes flicking to where Aizen's aroused privates were carelessly exposed. His lips tightened and a shiver went through him, but he sat very still, as though waiting for something. He moved immediately as Aizen leaned forward, putting his hands up in defense and catching his breath oddly as his wrists were captured and laid apart on the windowpane. Aizen's body trapped his against the glass, and the man's strong hands held his apart. Renji closed his eyes and groaned in something between distress and unbidden desire as Aizen's mouth claimed his, and the man's hot, insistent tongue pushed inside, seeking, caressing and coaxing his own tongue into a heated, erotic dance with the other. Aizen's hips pressed forward, and blazing heat touched Renji below, making him moan helplessly into Aizen's mouth, as the man's hands released his and captured his bare, tattooed bottom, moving his hips, and rubbing their damp, thickened members together.

"S-stop..." Renji moaned, his lips escaping Aizen's for a moment to breathe, "Stop it...you bastard!"

Do you really want me to?" Aizen asked softly, "Because your body seems to be saying something quite different."

"Shut up," Renji panted, turning his head away, "I don't know what you really want, but...I'm not gonna give it to you."

Aizen shifted suddenly, letting the wet tip of his arousal tease the redhead's entrance and watching Renji's eyes widen and his nostrils flare rebelliously. He smiled into that sweetly heated expression and brought his lips to the redhead's ear.

"You will do whatever I tell you to do...because I won't give you any other choice," he whispered, nipping at Renji's furiously blushing earlobe, "but don't worry. My intentions are not so dastardly as Gin's...although they do include a very thorough investigation of you...body and soul, Renji."

"Wh-what? What the hell do you mean? Why are you doing this?" Renji asked, biting at his lips and trying to pull away.

Aizen smiled.

"I am not exactly sure," he admitted, "But...I intend to thoroughly enjoy exploring that..."

XXXXXXXXXX

"It looks like he's coming around," said Ichigo, leaning over Tetsuya and watching as he stirred and his sapphire eyes opened and blinked.

"B-byakuya-sama?" he whispered, "Was I ill?"

Ichigo chuckled softly at the young noble's obvious confusion.

"You are going to be fine now," Orihime assured him.

"But, Byakuya-sama?" Tetsuya mumbled, only somewhat coherently.

"Byakuya's fine," Ichigo assured him, "He stayed behind at Central 46 to help with the investigation, while Rukia and I brought you back to the manor, so that Orihime could heal you. You were pretty banged up, but you're going to be okay too. And we're all pretty damned thankful you stopped that explosion from killing us all."

He turned to Orihime.

"Why don't you go and tell Byakuya's attendant that Tetsuya's awake and doing okay. Byakuya said to let him know when his cousin woke up."

"Okay," the girl said, nodding.

She replaced the cool, wet cloth on the noble's forehead, then left him alone with Ichigo. The ginger-haired youth looked down at Byakuya's cousin, nodding appreciatively.

"So...how did you react so fast? Not even Byakuya did. How did you?"

"Oh..." said Tetsuya, his eyes closing for a moment, and a soft tremor of memory passing through him, "were you aware that I spent much of my childhood in a prison?"

"Yeah," admitted Ichigo, "Rukia told me. Sounds like you had a really rough time of it there."

Tetsuya hesitated, his eyes betraying a hint of uncertainty.

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to...if it's hurtful to remember," Ichigo said, "I was just curious about how you knew and reacted so quickly."

"The...guards in the prison...used to play a game...several games, actually," Tetsuya said, his eyes darkening as he remembered, "They would...take us out into the woods and use their weapons to tease into fleeing. We...learned quickly what that sound meant. And having no powers, our only defense was speed."

"Holy shit," Ichigo breathed, "That's horrible. Look...I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you remember something so painful."

"Well," Tetsuya said softly, "In a brilliant twist of fate, that became an advantage that saved lives today. It...helps to know that."

"Well, you saved my life, and I'm really grateful."

"Oh, your reiatsu is strong, Ichigo-san. You would have..."

"You protected me," said Ichigo, "And because you did, I walked away unharmed. Thank you, Tetsuya."

Tetsuya's eyes widened, and a shiver went through him at what he saw reflected in Ichigo's friendly, and quickly becoming amorous, eyes. The ginger-haired youth felt a sudden, sharp impulse, and leaned forward, capturing Tetsuya's stunned lips with his. Tetsuya stiffened at first, his opened palms pressing against Ichigo's chest, touching his bare skin where his shihakusou opened at the top. A blush roared across the young noble's face and throat, and he shivered as the pressure of Ichigo's lips on his increased. Ichigo's hot, red tongue teased Tetsuya's lips apart and dipped inside, touching, caressing, tasting him slowly. Tetsuya quivered, certain that there couldn't be a place left on his body that wasn't flushed and feverish.

"YOU IDIOT! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" yelled Rukia from the doorway, making Ichigo gasp and let go of Tetsuya, who fell back and brought a hand to his aching head.

"Jeez, Rukia!" the ginger-haired youth complained, "You almost scared the shit out of me! What are you...?"

"Oh, I almost scared the shit out of you? What do you think that my brother would do if he saw that, you fool!"

"Saw what, exactly?" asked Byakuya, from where he and Yoruichi stood in the doorway.

"N-nii-sama!" Rukia gasped, her face going white as a ghost's.


	7. Friction

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aizen makes a deal with Renji to thwart Gin's plans, and Byakuya and Ichigo nearly come to blows over Ichigo's attraction to the noble's younger cousin, Tetsuya.

Renji groaned uncomfortably, still unable to tell with any certainty what day it was, what time it was, how many days had passed since he had become Aizen Sousuke's prisoner. He turned his head slightly so that he could see the stars that shined over the glass dome. But even they refused to answer his questions.

_How long have I been here?_

The answers not forthcoming, he sank back down into oblivion, disappearing into the quiet of his mind and trying not to think about being locked away deep in enemy territory, with two murderous bastards...

_And with no one even fucking knowing that I'm alive..._

_He said that...Gin did. That no one would come after me. They all think I'm dead. Shit...I might as well be._

He stole a glance at Aizen's sleeping face and briefly considered trying to kill the man.

_But the fucker's immortal, so what good would it do? And even if I could kill him, that leaves me with that silver-haired sadist..._

He flinched at the unbidden return of Gin's voice in his tormented mind.

_"You like to pretend you're tough. I don't know. Maybe you've gotten so good at feeding everyone that line that you forgot it wasn't true."_

_He made a guttural sound of pain, but refused to let himself be baited into answering, even as Gin's hips shifted and his brutal, leaking member touched his entrance warningly._

_"Why are you doing this?" Renji said, hating himself for giving in and yielding the words, "I thought that you hated Aizen. I thought that you were secretly working to kill him! Gin, we were on the same side...even if you had to pretend we weren't. You even tried to kill that bastard! What happened to you?"_

_"What happened?" Gin repeated mockingly, "What do you mean, 'What happened?' Just because we both hated him does not necessarily make us allies. I admit, I did think that way before, but after the truth came out and the new council of Central 46 interrogated Rangiku about me, I could never forgive them. They hurt her...in a different way than the way Aizen hurt her...but they still hurt her, because she was close to me. And they could not forgive me, despite the fact I was witnessed revealing myself and trying to kill Aizen. But I don't have to tell you how useless and inept, how removed from reality those rich old men are. You know, don't you? Your own taichou is one of them, and you saw how quickly he abandoned his own sister when she was in trouble."_

_It took everything in him to hold back a scathing objection. Instead, he opted for reason._

_"So...if I understand, then why torment me? What's this really about?" Renji asked._

_Gin frowned._

_"It is about who you are."_

_"I'm a kid from the Rukon, just like you!" Renji insisted._

_"No," Gin said cryptically, "And I am disappointed that you don't even realize that."_

_Renji frowned and blinked in confusion._

_"What do you mean?"_

_"Enough talk. I want to hear you scream."_

_"Gin..."_

_He tried to say more, but his mind disappeared into a blinding shock of pain that seemed to register everywhere._

"Renji?" said Aizen's voice, bringing him out of his reverie.

Renji's eyes cleared, but registered Aizen's presence, and that the facts of his situation hadn't changed, and dulled again quickly.

"Was it a dream, or perhaps a flashback?"

"What the fuck do you care, you piece of shit?" Renji fumed, "You don't give a damn about me. So don't look at me and say you do. Leave me the hell alone!"

"If I truly did not care at all, then I would not be protecting you from Gin," Aizen said, matter-of-factly.

"That just means that while he's written me off as useless, you still think you can use me for something. And since you're protecting the kid in me, it's probably that you want him or her for some reason. And don't try to tell me you 'just like kids' or that you're just being protective. I'm not falling for any of that shit!"

"I will admit to you that you are useful to me," Aizen said sitting up and moving into position to begin the bonding, "Perhaps you would like to know how?"

"Like I could believe anything you'd tell me!" the redhead objected, "You and that silver-haired bastard are up to something. I know you are. I don't know why you decided you needed me, but..."

"Actually," Aizen admitted, uncertain as to why he employed honesty at that particular moment, "I do not know how you or this child will be useful. I only know that you are."

"Wh...what?" Renji asked, frowning in confusion, "What the hell? You expect me to believe you don't know what the hell you're doing? Right! Like I'm fucking going to believe that! You know, just forget the damned bonding and keep your goddamned hands off of me! I don't want either one of you perverted freaks touching me!"

"You are not going to help your child by being difficult. Calm yourself. I was telling you the truth, in any case. Gin is keeping the particulars of what we are doing to himself. Think, Renji. The man does not trust me. Yet he broke me out of prison. He needs something from me and you. So, if you feel you are being used, you have company."

"Give me a break," Renji snapped furiously, "I'm not going to buy for a minute that you're letting that snake have any kind of power over you..."

"I admit that, as long as I possess the hougyoku, even with it sealed, I cannot be killed, so I'll assume that Gin wishes to deprive me of it at some point. I hope to discover how in time to head him off. But that aside, you must understand that I could not have escaped Central 46 without Gin's intervention. He found and healed Kyouka Suigetsu and he freed me. He was careful in the doing of that in not unsealing the hougyoku and Kyouka Suigetsu told me that the plan was for my powers not to be unsealed until I agreed to his terms. Kyouka Suigetsu intervened and shattered the seal on my powers, but the seal on the hougtoku remains in place. I will not attempt to unseal it, because it could abandon me and leave me vulnerable. Gin will not unseal it, because he fears that even if it does not count me worthy of wielding it, the thing could use me for its own purposes...a distinct possibility, considering. So, whatever he is planning, involves either the trade or sacrifice of the hougyoku to gain sufficient power to destroy the king, and likely, me."

Renji sighed in frustration.

"I can understand him wanting to kill you. He had a reason for that. And he still has that reason. But he didn't have a reason to kill the king."

Renji paused for a moment, remembering...

"...after the truth came out and the new council of Central 46 interrogated Rangiku about me, I could never forgive them. They hurt her...in a different way than the way Aizen hurt her...but they still hurt her, because she was close to me. And they could not forgive me, despite the fact I was witnessed revealing myself and trying to kill Aizen. But I don't have to tell you how useless and inept, how removed from reality those rich old men are. You know, don't you?

"Renji?" Aizen said questioningly, "What is it?"

The redhead shook his head and turned away.

"Nothing," he muttered, "Now, just leave me the hell alone, will you?"

Aizen didn't reply immediately, but only continued the warm reiatsu infusion. Renji's eyes glazed over and his mind continued to mull over the dread facts of the situation until he couldn't stand to contemplate then anymore.

_When it comes right down to it, I know I am screwed. I'm stuck here alone with these two bastards. No one knows I'm not dead already and I have no powers so I can't escape. The only reason that I'm not still being raped and tortured is because Aizen is protecting me and the kid. But he's only doing that because he wants to use the kid himself. Still...it will be awhile before this kid is born. And I think that if Taichou was here, he would tell me that the best course of action would be to accept my situation while it cannot be changed by anything I do, and focus only on finding the moment when something I can do can make a difference. I don't know when that will be, but...I'm not being hurt now. Aizen's actually taking pretty good care of me. I can use that to grow stronger, so that whenever I get an opening to run for it, I'll be able to take advantage of it. Yeah...that's it, then. Accept and prepare. It's all I can do._

Aizen studied Renji intently for a moment as the redhead's body suddenly relaxed in his embrace. He smiled encouragingly.

"You have stopped to think and realized, ne?" he said quietly, "You know that the only option you have left is to strengthen yourself and to wait for an opportunity to break free. A wise decision. You have changed since Soukyoku Hill. You are not just talk that cannot be backed up. You have trained hard at Byakuya's side and are much stronger for it. He would be proud."

"He wouldn't be proud of me letting Gin fuck me up so bad and getting pregnant by him," Renji said, looking down at his belly.

The two men paused and stared in wonder as the flesh under Aizen's hands began to pulsate softly, and the two sensed the blossoming presence of a new, young soul. Renji's eyes rounded in surprise, then grew tormented.

_Shit..._

_This is really happening. It isn't just words anymore. I have a life inside me to protect._

_And I will do anything to protect that._

_Anything..._

_It doesn't matter that Gin raped me and that's how it happened. This kid is a part of me and whatever happens, I am not going to let anything happen to him or her. I will stop at nothing._

"Renji?" Aizen said again, questioningly.

"Look," said the redhead, "I know that you are planning to use the kid too. But since you're not hurting us now, I will cooperate with you. You want to find out what that snake is doing and I want to get out of here alive with this kid still alive too. I will cooperate with you to try to stop him, but then, I'm warning you, I will do whatever it takes to escape you."

Aizen smirked.

"You are offering to work with me?" he asked, amused.

"To a certain point," Renji agreed, "But not one fucking step beyond that, you get me?"

"I understand," Aizen said, looking down again at Renji's still glowing abdomen, "Relax then and let me care for you. I will strengthen you and we will work together against Gin."

He thought carefully for a moment, then broke the seal on the redhead's powers. Renji gave him a surprised look.

"Why did you do that?" he asked, frowning.

"If you are to assist me, then you will need your powers," Aizen explained, "Only remember not to leave the tower without me. Gin is very crafty and will have ways of finding and reaching you if you leave here...so leave here only with me...if you want to protect your child. Can you live with those terms, Renji?"

Renji ran his hands over the slight rounding on his abdomen and nodded. Aizen sighed approvingly and returned to the stabilizing bonding.

"As I said," he intoned quietly, "A wise decision."

Renji looked down at where Aizen's hands caressed his belly.

"So," he said, more calmly, "What do we do now?"

Aizen considered for a moment, then met Renji's eyes thoughtfully. The smile he gave the redhead was decidedly enigmatic.

"Hmmm, the unexpected, I think," Aizen postulated, "Renji, how would you like to see some of your friends again now?"

XXXXXXXXXX

Byakuya looked from Rukia's pale, fearful face, to Tetsuya's blushing one, then turned his dark gaze on Ichigo, who swallowed hard and stiffened.

"Am I to understand," said Byakuya, his reiatsu rising ominously, "that yet again, Kurosaki Ichigo, you are overstepping clear boundaries with my cousin?"

"Look," said the substitute shinigami, "the guy just saved my life, Byakuya. Yeah, maybe I shouldn't have kissed him, but I couldn't help it. He's drop-dead gorgeous, just saved my life and I have nothing but the highest respect for him."

Tetsuya's eyes widened, and his already bright blush found a way to deepen even more.

"But you disrespect the fact that I already told you. My cousin is promised in marriage to someone else...a noble princess."

"But he doesn't want to be. You know that!" Ichigo argued.

"Ichigo-san," Tetsuya began, shaking his head, "I..."

"I am aware," Byakuya said, cutting him off, "However, he has agreed to the marriage because he knows how important it is to maintaining good clan relations."

"But you know that Tetsuya is gay! How can you do this to him? I thought that you cared about him!"

Byakuya's eyes flared.

"I do care about my cousin!" he fumed, "And not that I owe you any explanation at all, but I had no choice and Tetsuya knows it! It is extremely common for noble marriages to be arranged. It is, in fact, a means of keeping the peace and preserving important alliances. It has always been that way. I had hoped to spare Tetsuya that, but unfortunately, a rival clan leader began to take an unhealthy interest in him, and I received word that he is going to propose to take Tetsuya's hand, not out of love, but because he knows that Tetsuya is close to me. The only way out of the situation was to offer him to a clan of higher standing, which is what I did. I wasn't forcing Tetsuya into an unwanted marriage, so much as protecting him from a worse one. And the person I chose for him understands the situation as well. Is it what I really want for my cousin? No. But it is a far better fate than handing him over to a vile, boorish miscreant like the one who was pursuing him."

"Byakuya-sama is right," Tetsuya said, finding his voice again, "I did agree to this marriage. I am not..."

"Oh, come on," Ichigo said, shaking his head stubbornly, "You can't tell me that you, a gay guy is going to be happy being married to some princess. As nice as she is..."

"This isn't about how 'nice' she is," Byakuya said disdainfully, "It is about..."

"It is about your cousin," Ichigo said, meeting the noble's eyes squarely, "And if it was me, I'd say 'screw them.' He should be able to be happy, just like everyone else. After all he's been through, he deserves to be able to choose who he marries! That's all I'm saying."

"And Byakuya-sama is not disagreeing with you," Tetsuya said, trying desperately to diffuse the situation, "You have to understand that the noble families are bound by different rules. And as the leader of the greatest of the noble clans..."

"As the leader of the greatest of the noble clans," Ichigo repeated, crossing his arms, "I would think that Byakuya could do better than to stuff you into a marriage you don't want."

"Shut your insolent mouth, boy!" Byakuya snapped heatedly, "Or I will shut it for you!"

"Hey, didn't mean to touch a nerve," Ichigo said saucily, "but you are this high and mighty clan leader. A guy would think that if you were that powerful, it wouldn't be so hard to find a way out of forcing your favored cousin to get married to someone he isn't in love with!"

"Would you SHUT UP?" yelled Rukia, "Do not insult my brother! Clan relations are really tricky"

"She is right," agreed Tetsuya, "It doesn't always matter how strong a leader is. There are times and situations in which..."

"Stop trying to explain it to him," Byakuya said, frowning, "It is clear that because he is one used to setting his own rules, the whole idea of following them is beyond his capacity to understand."

"HEY!" shouted Ichigo.

"Whoa!" said Yoruichi, stepping between the two, "As much as this is an important thing, we have something more important to focus on. So, Ichigo, you need to stop taunting Byakuya about things that you really don't understand. And you, Byakuya-bo, need to cool down and not let him get to you. In case you both have forgotten, Renji is out there somewhere and needs our help. We can't help him out if all we are doing is fighting."

Yoruichi paused as a hell butterfly floated into the room and came to a stop in front of Byakuya. The noble extended a finger and the insect landed on the tip, allowing him to read the reiatsu of the sender. Byakuya's face paled instantly and his eyes widened.

"What is it?" Ichigo asked quickly, "Who is it from?"

"It is from Renji," Byakuya said, staring.


End file.
